Pool
by xxGUSHINESSxx
Summary: "Do you love me in the way that means forever? In the way that means we never have to find excuses?" She watched him from across the water, watched as his shoulders slumped. "No," he said. The series of events that follow the infamous "pool scene" between Robin and Starfire, including Red Hood and the Outlaws, redone tastefully. Complete, unless feedback encourages a part 2.
1. Pool

**Author's Note:**

 _Thank you to all my readers for your patience. This is just a sneak peak, I will update more frequently next week. I'm thinking I'll update every two or three days. :) Without further ado, here is the start to my take on the aftermath of the infamous pool scene. I do not own Teen Titans or any comics by DC._

~0~0~0~

There was a silence in the air and not the peaceful kind that she was used to around him.

Four years. Four years she had known him, befriended him, loved him. Four years there had been tension, had been whispers of will they, won't they? Then they had. Then they hadn't. Then they had again.

On and off for _four years_. Occasionally her friends would remark angrily about him leading her on. She had brushed aside their worries, knowing that Robin was complicated. Then, Nightwing was complicated.

Then Dick.

She gave him space, hoping he would come back to her when the team disbanded. He did for a little while. Then he left for Gotham and then Bludhaven.

Meanwhile she was left to lead the Titans, or what was left of them. Cyborg had gone to join the Justice League, while she, Raven, and Beast Boy had stayed behind. They were due for some new members. She was ready to welcome them, really she was.

She was even more ready to get some answers.

Starfire glanced up, aimlessly running her fingers over the surface of the pool water as she listened to Dick crack his shoulders. They were in a private section of a hotel Dick had rented for them for the weekend. That was how things were these days.

"I bet you're glad to get out of the Tower," Dick mused, leaning back against the side of the pool. Droplets of water fell down his maskless face.

Starfire smiled and shook her head. "Truly I could never tire from such a place. It is my home. Raven, Garfield and I have started making the renovations to welcome prospective Titans." Her smile faded as he glanced off to the side, his eyes already glazing over in a way that meant he was not really invested in the conversation.

"Good, good," he mumbled absently.

"I have prepared a new training regiment for when they arrive," she continued, a trace of pride leaking into her voice.

"That's good." He still wasn't looking at her.

Starfire's hands sank into the water as her body stilled. It was pointless. He had other things on his mind. Four years ago she would have told herself he was stressed; she would have made excuses for him. She would have defended him from Gar and Vic's accusations.

Tonight was the first time she wondered if they had been right all along.

"Dick," Starfire said. At the sound of his name he finally glanced at her. "You have been on my mind lately."

At this comment Dick's face twisted into a mischievous smile. "I have?" he asked innocently, gliding toward her until his body was pressed up against hers.

Starfire frowned. He was confused. She was not trying to "start something" as her male friends would say. She wanted to be serious. Yet even now, she could feel her body react to him.

"You've been on my mind too," he whispered huskily in her ear, his hand drifting up the back of her thigh under the water.

She closed her eyes for a moment, debating whether or not to let her worries subside and to just give in to him, as she always did. She let out a tiny gasp as his other hand came up to cup her breast. She shuddered as she felt his mouth on her neck, his body already rubbing against hers. She pressed herself against him, knowing it would only be a matter of time before their clothes were discarded.

Even in this hazy heat, she remembered herself. She paused when she felt him hard against her thigh, felt his hand start to glide into her bathing suit bottom.

"Dick, no," she said, pushing away from him.

"What?" Dick asked, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I-I do not feel in the mood for such activities," she replied, wringing her wet hair between her hands.

"Oh," he said, making no effort to hide his disappointment. He retreated back to his place by the edge of the pool. This made her feel even worse. There was once a time where he would have enjoyed the prospect of staying up to talk to her. But that had been with Robin. Maybe it had never been with Dick at all.

"I wish to talk to you about us," she continued, looking him dead in the eye.

At this, he seemed to become even more confused. "Uh…ok."

Starfire swallowed, feeling her heart start to race. "I feel as though you no longer care for me in the way you once did when we were young."

Dick froze. "What makes you say that?"

Starfire let her hair slip through her fingers. "The only time you wish for my companionship is when we make love."

Dick frowned. "That's not-"

Starfire held up her hand. "Please let me finish."

Dick paused, and then decided to shut his mouth.

"I love you, Dick. I always have," she admitted. "From the moment I came to this planet I loved you. During the days when we were the teenagers and you isolated yourself from us, I loved you. I love you even now, when we are like strangers to each other."

"Strangers?" Dick questioned. "You could never be a stranger to me, Star. You mean the world to me."

"Then why are we not together?" she pressed.

Dick cleared his throat. "I've been really busy. Now's not a good time."

"When will it be the good time?"

"I don't know."

 _Again, with the excuses._

Starfire stared straight into his eyes. "Do you love me?"

Dick spluttered. "Kory, you know I-"

"Dick, you know very well what I mean," she interrupted, her eyes burning. "Not a someone you will 'always' love, or who occupies a special place in your heart." She watched as he straightened. "Do you love me? In the way that means forever. In a way that means we _never_ have to find excuses."

There. She had asked. She had finally asked. Her heart, her soul, was on the line. For one beautiful moment she felt euphoric. She felt like she was in free fall. Then his shoulders tensed, and then slumped, and looking at him now she knew what his answer would be even before he said it.

"No."

With that one word her universe came crashing down. Even now, so soon after his rejection she could feel her heartbreak, could feel her powers begging to be released in a dangerous way, in a way that could be irreversible.

She needed to be alone. And yet…

She darted forward and attached her mouth to his one last time. He let out a gasp of surprise, and before he could reciprocate, or even reject her again, she detached herself and left.

Left the pool.

Left _Robin._

For good.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Already I'm changing a few things :) That's it for the prologue. Now to get to the meat of the story._


	2. Leaving Earth

**Author's Note:**

 _Something you may notice is how I will jump around from referring to characters by their aliases as well as their real names. This is intentional. Rather than keeping the two separate, I wanted to show how interchangeable they are, especially when the characters refer to each other. Usually I like to be very particular with when I use them, but not for this story. I would say the only exception is when I refer to Roy and Jason. Obviously when the two are in uniform I am more likely to refer to them by their aliases. Thank you for reading my internal monologue, now on with the story!_

~0~0~0~

"He fucking _what?!"_

"Friend Garfield, please," Starfire begged as the changeling paced angrily back and forth across the ops room of the Tower. His shoulders were tensed and his breath came out in loud puffs through his nostrils.

Raven stood away from him, obviously more composed, but her eyebrows furrowed with anger and sadness. Cyborg let out a string of curses from where his picture was featured on the monitor. Starfire had video called him since she had wanted all of her friends to be there when she told them the news. The _real_ news. The news she hadn't gotten around to telling them yet.

"I can't fucking believe this," Beast Boy snapped, gripping his hair.

"Man's dead as shit if you ask me," Cyborg piped in, equally as outraged.

Starfire felt tears spring to her eyes. "Please Friends, it is not Dick's fault. I cannot make him love me. He has every right not to feel the same."

"That's not the point, Starfire," Raven said, her voice calm despite the anger on her face. "He should have been honest with you from the beginning."

"That bastard's been leading her on for years! And we let it happen right in front of us!" Cyborg raged.

"Dude, Rae, you're so right. The next time I see him I'm gonna claw his eyes out," Beast Boy growled.

Raven gave him a deadpan look. "Alright well, I don't endorse _that."_

"We gotta talk to him, Man, at least we gotta talk to him," Cyborg continued.

Starfire flew in front of the ops screen, clutching her hands. "Oh _please_ do not! It would only make the situation worse." She flew down to look Beast Boy in the eye. "I beg both of you, please let Dick live out his life in peace."

Beast Boy stared her down for a few moments before deflating. Even from behind her, Starfire could hear Cyborg let out a sigh. "Alright Star, whatever you say."

Beast Boy scratched his head. "Yeah, I'll let it go, I guess. But I could have totally beat him up ya know."

Despite the situation Starfire let out a small giggle. Raven rolled her eyes affectionately at the changeling and whacked the back of his head lightly. Beast Boy chuckled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Starfire watched the two curiously. Perhaps _all_ chances of love were not gone from the world.

"Hey Kory, if you ever need anything just say the word," Cyborg mentioned, and she turned around to give her cybernetic friend a small smile.

"There is something else I would ask of all of you, Friends," Starfire continued, her stomachs unfolding into nerves as she prepared to tell them her decision.

"Anything," Raven told her, followed by Beast Boy and Cyborg's noises of agreement.

Starfire took a deep breath. The words were on her lips. She could feel them there. Yet when she opened her mouth to speak, she found she could not. Instead she pulled what Cyborg and Beast Boy would call "the cop out."

"Join me for a splendid dinner of the pizza sometime?" she asked weakly.

Cyborg laughed. "You bet on it, Girl. Next time I'm in Jump we'll go. My treat."

"Oh no, if you're paying you're just gonna order meat for the table!" Beast Boy accused, coming to stand in front of the screen.

"Damn straight, Green Bean!"

As the two male heroes engaged in verbal banter, Starfire flew over to the kitchen. Funny, she would have thought after Dick's rejection she would not have been able to fly. Instead she just felt empty.

She reached over to grab a glass, filling it with water. Her hand shook as she swallowed the liquid. She could still feel her powers beating against her entire being. She knew all she had to do was let go, and she would no longer feel the emotional heartbreak. She struggled against these urges, knowing she couldn't succumb. She _wouldn't_ succumb.

"I'm not going to ask if you're okay," Raven said softly, making Starfire jump, "but I know there's something you aren't telling us."

The Tamaranean whipped around, a false smile on her face. As she met Raven's unconvinced expression, however, she sobered. Sighing, she swallowed down more tears. She glanced past Raven's shoulder and, noting Beast Boy and Cyborg were still involved in their banter, decided now was the time to tell her female friend.

"I cannot stay here, Raven," she whispered, so softly that Raven leaned in a little.

"In the Tower?"

"On Earth."

Raven's eyes widened slightly. "Starfire-"

"You more than anyone should know the strain emotions of turmoil can place on one's powers," Starfire explained feebly. "I am not whole; I may never be whole again as long as I am here. Tamaranean emotions, we-" she paused, not knowing how much she should let Raven know, if she didn't know already, due to her empathetic abilities. "I cannot be on the same planet as him."

She found she could not say his name.

Starfire expected Raven to protest, to say she was being dramatic even, but she did not.

"I understand, Starfire," she murmured, her eyes shimmering with sadness.

"Oh, Raven," Starfire cried softly, flinging her arms around the empath. "You will tell the others in time?" she asked. "I do not believe I can find such strength to see the disappointment on their faces."

Raven hesitated, and then sighed. "If that's what you really want, I will." Starfire squeezed her friend tighter. "I still don't like hugs," she added, but she patted the taller girl on the back nonetheless.

~0~0~0~

That night, Starfire began to pack her things. It felt foreign, placing everything into bags, never to return. She paused halfway through packing as Silkie rubbed against her leg. She picked up her little _bumgorf_ and held him tight. She sat on her bed and looked around her room.

No. She had to return. Someday. Dick may have been her love, but Earth was her _home._ She had to believe she would come back.

She held Silkie in front of her face. "Silkie, your _K'Norfka_ must return to Tamaran for an unspecified period of time. Do you promise to behave and listen to _K'Norfka_ Garfield?"

Silkie squirmed to and fro, releasing a chortled noise as well as a plethora of mucus.

Starfire held her larva close to her chest. "Oh! I will miss you so much my little _bumgorf!"_

After she had said her goodbyes to Silkie, Starfire opted to bring one small bag to Tamaran, a personal promise that her stay would not be permanent. She debated packing her Titans' communicator with her. On one hand, it could be a painful reminder of Dick, yet on the other hand, she did not want to lose communication with the other Titans. She finally decided to pack it.

By the time she had finished, it was early morning; the sun had not even risen. Floating into ops, Starfire placed herself in front of the monitor, preparing to call her own _K'Norfka._

Galfore responded on the third ring. His massive face lifted into a huge smile when he saw her. Seeing Galfore, the person who had taken care of her all her life, was finally too much for her.

She broke down.

Galfore's expression immediately twisted into concern. "What is wrong, my little _bumgorf?_ "

"Oh Galfore," Starfire sobbed. "It is not so simple to explain."

"Nonsense. Tell your _K'Norfka."_

Starfire exhaled a shuttering breath. "Nightwing does not love me."

Galfore's expression darkened. "My princess, rejected by a mere Earthling?"

"Please do not speak ill of him, Galfore. It is my own fault. I was blinded by my love for him. It has done the clouding of my judgment for years," she said despairingly, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Have you given him your heart, Little One?" Galfore asked, a new gentleness overtaking his voice.

Starfire gave a small nod, followed by another choked sob. "I wish to return to Tamaran. I cannot stay on Earth any longer."

"As you should. Your people will be waiting for you. Please, come home, Princess."

 _But_ _I am already home,_ a small voice in her head told her. She ignored it.

"I shall leave at daybreak," Starfire announced, wiping her nose. "I shall join you soon, _K'Norfka."_ She began to rise.

"Koriand'r, wait," Galfore warned, and Starfire halted. "Our people are fierce warriors, but we may become vulnerable when our eternal love is broken." He regarded her seriously. "Please tell me you have no intention of letting such terrible emotions consume you."

"Of course not, Galfore," she said, but found the words sounded hollow in her own ears.

Galfore nodded, not seeming entirely satisfied. "I shall see you soon, my little _bumgorf._ May your flight be free from intrusions." The transmission ended.

Starfire stared at the blank screen for a few more moments before rising. There was one final thing she had to do. Clutching her bag and slinging it over her shoulder, she flew down the hallway and up through the hatch in the Tower's ceiling, coming to rest on the roof.

She sat down by the edge and stared past the water, squinting as the first morning rays began to poke up. She would sit here with Dick most mornings, when he was with the Titans.

 _Not Dick, Robin,_ she corrected herself.

They were so young back then. She had felt so free, so happy with the love of her friends, with the love of her new planet, and for him. How much of her love of Earth had come from him? Starfire found it terrified her to think about such a notion.

When the crest of the sun finally broke over the horizon, bathing her in morning light, she rose. She was thankful she had said goodbye to Raven the night before. She hoped her other friends would forgive her in time. Besides, she would see them again. Maybe not soon, but definitely again.

Taking one final breath, she launched herself into the air, feeling the cool wind whip her hair against her cheek. She felt the warmth of her powers thrum in time with the horrible constrictions of her chest. As she broke the atmosphere she let out a breath, and she gasped when she discovered the tiny droplets of her tears floating beside her in space.

She glanced back at Earth. Oh, how she wanted to return there already, but she knew she could not. Her pain was too great. It was tearing her apart; crushing her chest and making her nine stomachs feel sick.

The pain was great. Too great. She let out a sharp gasp of pain as her powers beat against her again and again. Her chest was on fire, she could not scream, could not breath, could not live another second. Not like this.

So she let go.

Tamaraneans are always connected to their emotions. Their powers, their abilities, their entire beings depend on the nature of their hearts. And hers was broken. In order to survive, Starfire let go of all the pain, the feelings…and the memories.

A blank slate.

When she came to, she was miles from Earth, and she was confused. How had she ended up here? Had she been running from something?

 _You were taken prisoner_ , she remembered. Yes, that was it. The Gordanians had planned to take her to the Citadel, where she would have served her days as a prize and a slave. She shuddered at the thought. No matter. Now she was free. She was free to return to her home.

 _Oh it must look so wonderful,_ she thought, her chest filling with excitement and joy as she flew faster, eager to return to her home world. _My K'Norfka will be overjoyed to see me!_

In a matter of hours her feet touched down on rough sand, and her eyes glanced up at the beautiful orange and pink sky. She had waited months, no _years_ to return to this place. And now that she was back, she was never leaving.

She approached the palace gates and immediately fell into speaking Tamaranean. She was surprised with herself at first, for the words seemed to come out a little ungracefully, as if she were out of practice. After a few moments she regained her eloquence, and the guards bowed before her.

"Princess Koriand'r," one of them said, "welcome home."

Koriand'r smiled.

The princess flew throughout the palace, marveling at the changes to the interior since her last visit. Along the way she heard some of the guards mention that they should alert 'Grand Ruler Galfore,' and Koriand'r beamed with pride. Galfore must have ruled Tamaran in her and her sister's absences. How extraordinary! She had never really fashioned herself as Grand Ruler, but she had always found her _K'Norfka_ had possessed the qualities necessary to be a great leader. If he were the new Grand Ruler then she would proudly serve under him as his ambassador.

Suddenly overcome with the desire to be reunited with her caretaker, Koriand'r burst into the throne room with a girlish squeal. Galfore rose from his throne immediately, his face overjoyed. It struck Koriand'r odd for a moment that he did not seem surprised by her sudden arrival, but she let the thought dissipate as she leapt into his arms. She laughed with joy as he tickled her all over, the same way he had done when she was a small child. They engaged in playful, warrior shouting, but they could not keep up the charade for long and in a matter of moments they held each other in a strong hold.

"Oh Galfore, it is glorious to finally see you again," Koriand'r gushed, finally letting go of her adoptive father.

"I am glad you have arrived safely, Princess," Galfore said, his eyes crinkling with joy. "The people of Tamaran will be pleased to have their princess back."

"I will do my best to serve them well," Koriand'r told him, "but as your ambassador."

Galfore raised his eyebrows. "Ambassador, Young One? Are you sure?"

Koriand'r nodded. "I will proudly serve under your rule, Galfore. Please, tell me, how long have you been Grand Ruler?"

Koriand'r watched curiously as Galfore stiffened, and then his eyes scanned over her suspiciously, and then sadly. "For quite some time, Koriand'r," he said softly, his tone suddenly somber as he regarded her.

Koriand'r wanted to ask why Galfore was filled with such sadness, but her own elation at being home overshadowed the curiosity she had.

She yawned, realizing how tired she was from her journey. "I believe I am in need of a most lengthy slumber. May I retire to my bedchamber, Grand Ruler?" Koriand'r asked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Any concern in Galfore's eyes faded almost at once, for he too, seemed overjoyed that she had at last returned. "Of course, Princess. Right this way."

Koriand'r took in a deep breath of awe when she arrived to her room. It had been so long since she had been in her own bedchamber. Everything looked pristine, untouched. The silken sheets and curtains, the stone balcony, the exotic plant life imported from southern Tamaran, everything was perfect.

She collapsed into her bed, making sure to cradle her neck in its intended slot so she could drape her head over the side. Feeling the blood pool in her cranium, she began to relax. She could not wait for this new chapter in her life to start.

~0~0~0~

"I thank you for hosting me on behalf of the Grand Ruler, General," Koriand'r said, nodding her head to General Phy'zzon of southwestern Tamaran. He had deep orange skin and an impressive white mane. His body was sculpted in ways that represented a fine warrior; his eyes held the determined and intimidating glare of a Tamaranean leader.

"The pleasure is all mine, Princess. It brings us great honor that the Grand Ruler should send his ambassador to discuss an issue as imperative as solar sustenance technology," General Phy'zzon replied, his features warm.

Koriand'r returned his smile. Almost three months had passed since she had arrived to Tamaran, and she felt as though she had finally found her place. This was her first time traveling outside the palace and to discuss new technology for a Tamaranean self-charging power source of all things! She felt more useful than she ever had growing up in the palace.

"Have your technicians been supplied with the resources they need?" Koriand'r questioned as she flew beside the General. After a moment she remembered herself and dropped down to walk beside him. If she were to be an ambassador it wouldn't do to be floating about during a professional meeting.

"The Grand Ruler has been very accommodating in terms of resources. I would like to request on behalf of my region to send a few more hundred temporary workers to assist in finishing these complicated mechanisms," he sent her a dashing smile.

Koriand'r blinked. She had expected the General to be stiff and unfeeling, yet he was warm and kind and awfully charming, which was dangerous when making negotiations. She felt a small fluttering in her chest at his smile and she pushed down such thoughts. Her duties as an ambassador came first.

"Surely your region's people can manage with only a hundred more additional workers?" she inquired politely. "A couple hundred does seem excessive given there are other priorities which need competent workers, yes?"

"With all do respect, Princess, solar sustenance technology will be enormously valuable to the Grand Ruler's military. With such machinery our warriors would be able to recharge instantaneously, rather than wait for the sun's rays to touch them," General Phy'zzon argued.

Koriand'r lifted her chin. "I am well aware of the technology's purpose. That being said, the protection of our planet is of the utmost priority. We certainly cannot allow hundreds of capable warriors to completely drop their duties, for would that not defeat the purpose of having equipped warriors at all times of the day and night? One hundred and fifty more workers. You will receive no more."

The General regarded her in surprise, and Koriand'r tried not to feel too pleased with herself for impressing him.

"Forgive me, Princess. I have misjudged you." He bowed his head to her. "I can indeed manage with one hundred and fifty workers. Please let the Grand Ruler know I am grateful for his generosity."

"I shall," Koriand'r responded. She held out her hand. "We shall keep in contact."

General Phy'zzon stared at her outstretched hand in confusion. Koriand'r glanced down at her own appendage, bewildered at the foreign gesture. By the look on the General's face, the man clearly thought something was wrong with her, and perhaps he was right. Koriand'r hastily retracted her arm before she further embarrassed herself. General Phy'zzon gave her one last bow, and she flew away, wondering what in _X'hal's_ name had gotten into her.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Starfire does have her memory allegedly wiped in the "Outlaws" comic. I believe this has to do with her heartbreak over Dick's rejection, so this is what I included here. She will meet the Outlaws soon, patience my children._

 _Also, Koriand'r was married twice before she met Dick. Once to Karras for a peace treaty, and once to General Phy'zzon out of love. Clearly I'm playing with the timeline here. We won't see much more of General Phy'zzon, but I thought it important to include him. Hmm…perhaps Galfore worries for Koriand'r will eventually cause him to send her on a special "mission" to jog her memory…?_


	3. Prince Karras

Koriand'r had been working as Galfore's ambassador for six months when he summoned her to the throne room. She floated in quickly, making sure to land and bow to the Grand Ruler before she relaxed her position. Galfore had told her such formalities were unnecessary, but she felt she owed it to her _K'Norfka_ to show him the same respect as she would any other Grand Ruler. As soon as she stood straight to face him, Galfore rose from his throne and came to stand in front of her. With every step he made the ground shake beneath his feet. Koriand'r supposed that many would find a man as Galfore menacing, but all she could see was her beloved caretaker.

"How may I be of assistance Grand Ruler?" Koriand'r asked, cocking her head to the side.

Galfore's mouth quirked into a strange smile. Koriand'r narrowed her eyes in playful suspicion. She knew that look. He was up to something.

"There is someone I would like you to meet, Princess Koriand'r," he responded.

Koriand'r frowned. Galfore almost never used her full name with her title. The only times he had were during council meetings or when he was trying to show his little _bumgorf_ off. It was clearly the latter in this case.

Koriand'r turned her head at the sound of the throne room doors opening, and a moment later a tall, muscled man with clean-cut red hair stepped out. His clothing was similar to that of her own, and he wore a titanium face-framing crown on his head, albeit less impressive than Galfore's. It was all Koriand'r needed to see to know this was a prince.

She turned to Galfore, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. While her _K'Norfka_ would never arrange a match without her consent, that did not mean he would not try and play matchmaker.

"Princess Koriand'r, this is Prince Karras. He has traveled very far to meet you," Galfore announced, doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with her while also trying to hide his smile.

Koriand'r sent her _K'Norfka_ a final glare before turning to Karras, an uncertain smile plastered on her face. She bowed to him and he returned the gesture before taking a couple steps closer.

"To what do I owe this acquaintance, Prince Karras?" Koriand'r questioned, raising an eyebrow.

She would have expected him to be charming, seductive even, if this were a potential match as she suspected. Karras, however, seemed aloof, cold, and anything but welcoming.

"As the Grand Ruler has said, I have traveled from the other side of Tamaran to lay eyes on your beautiful face," Karras responded, his body tense and his voice rehearsed. "I have come to ask for your hand in betrothal."

Koriand'r turned to Galfore. "May I have a word with you, Grand Ruler?"

Galfore, despite his height, seemed to shrink back from her words. "Nonsense, Princess. Surely you do not wish to have our guest wait in the throne room alone?"

Koriand'r pursed her lips. "Prince Karras seems to be quite a strong warrior. I am sure he can entertain himself for a few moments." She turned to Karras who bowed his head again in that same stiff manner. Koriand'r turned back to Galfore expectantly.

The Grand Ruler heaved a sigh. "Very well."

When the two retired to the council meeting room, Koriand'r rounded on him.

"You have arranged a marriage without my knowledge?" she asked, hurt evident in her voice.

"Of course not, my little _bumgorf._ I would never do such a thing without your permission," he said truthfully. "You need only to reject his offer of betrothal."

She furrowed her eyebrows in thought. "Perhaps I will, but perhaps not. What use is he to us?"

"Spoken like a true ambassador," Galfore said proudly, before becoming more serious. "Prince Karras controls a vast army of fierce warriors in the South, warriors who are seasoned in fighting Adaptoids."

"Why would such knowledge be valuable?"

Galfore hesitated. "Before you arrived, Tamaran was attacked by a swarm of Adaptoids. They travel from planet to planet, absorbing the life there until there is nothing left. We lost many lives when they invaded last."

Koriand'r stiffened. "Why was I not informed of such information? Surely as your ambassador I could have been of some use?"

"It was not your concern at the time, Little One," Galfore explained. "You have been through much since your arrival here."

Koriand'r shook her head. "The Gordanians are hardly-"

"I am not speaking of the Gordanians," he said, his eyes a mixture of sadness and concern.

Now she was even more confused. "Then what…?" She paused as Galfore pulled out a small, black and yellow, circular object. It was a device foreign to Tamaraneans, yet Koriand'r felt as if she had seen it before. She blinked as she realized it was an item she had brought with her.

"You have…gone through my things?" she inquired, not as offended as she thought she would be.

Galfore ignored the question. "Do you remember what this is, Princess?"

She stared hard at the object. She looked at the strange 'T' marking at the center. She glanced over all the buttons, at the little antennae sticking out of the top. It was so familiar, important even, yet she could not remember why.

She shook her head, finally giving up. At her response Galfore's expression saddened even more.

"I fear you have lost a part of you forever, my _bumgorf._ A part of you that meant more than the love of your _K'Norfka,_ more than even Tamaran _._ "

Koriand'r shook her head again, this time more fiercely. "My heart belongs to Tamaran. All of me is here." And then, as if to prove her point, she stuck out her chest. "I will accept the request of Prince Karras for a betrothal. Surely our technology matched with his knowledge of the enemy will be enough to demolish the Adaptoids once and for all."

Galfore looked even more uncertain than before. Koriand'r thought her acceptance would please him, but he seemed sad. Sad for her.

Not wanting to dote on such uncertain feelings, Koriand'r flew out of the room and met Prince Karras once more. She tried not to let his cold demeanor bother her as she bowed in acceptance. She may not love this man, may not even know him, but that was expected on Tamaran.

So why did it feel like something was wrong?

~0~0~0~

A few days later Koriand'r stood on her balcony, her forearms leaning against the stone railing. She thought about her impending betrothal. Really it was nothing more than a treaty of sorts-the way most betrothals went-yet she felt different than she thought she would feel.

She hoped Prince Karras would not be too difficult a husband. He seemed rather unfeeling, completely her opposite, so perhaps they would not get along? No matter, as long as they were allies, that was all she needed for her contribution to Tamaran.

Koriand'r dipped her mouth in dismay as she recalled her conversation with Galfore a few days prior. He seemed to imply she had other obligations, ones that went beyond Tamaran. How could that be possible? She had spent years trying to escape the Gordanians, so she could return home.

She did not bother to analyze that the trip to the Citadel would not have lasted years, for the uncertainty of her own mind was beginning to trouble her.

She jolted when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Turning around and composing herself, she took a breath before calling, "You may enter."

One of her guards made an appearance, his face automatically apologetic for disturbing her. "My princess, Prince Karras has requested to speak with you."

Koriand'r raised her eyebrows. "In my bedchamber? That is certainly not customary before a betrothal."

"That is what I told him, Princess. Shall I turn him away?"

Koriand'r pursed her lips. While she really had no further interest speaking to Karras before they married, she was curious as to what his intentions might be. Her curiosity alone was enough to make her decision for her.

"You may send for the prince," she told the guard, and he nodded immediately, bowing before retreating into the hallway.

Koriand'r returned to her place by the railing as she waited. She waited several minutes and was starting to think she would not see him when he entered. She turned to face the doorway again, noting how his bow to her seemed less formal than it had previously.

"I hope I am not disrupting you, Princess," Prince Karras said, standing straight up once he had completed his bow.

"Not at all. What do you require of me Prince Karras?" Koriand'r responded, her tone slightly clipped.

To her surprise, Karras appeared almost embarrassed. His shoulders slumped and his face took on a defeated look, far different than the commanding and unapproachable figure she saw only a few days ago. She watched as he transformed before her eyes.

"I wish to apologize for my insulting demeanor upon when we first met," he spoke, his eyes wide and seemingly genuine.

Koriand'r blinked in surprise. "Nonsense, you-"

"I realize our betrothal will be greatly valued by the people of Tamaran, and although we may not know each other, it was wrong for me to treat you as less than my equal." He stopped to clear his throat. "I am aware you have accepted my proposal on behalf of our people. I made the request for a similar reason. Although I do not know your true feelings on the matter, I believe I owe you the decency to tell you mine." She watched as he came closer to her, his short hair shifting only slightly with the movement. "You see; I am in love with another. A woman lieutenant by the name Taryia."

His voice became lighter and his eyes took on a far away look when he said her name. Koriand'r watched him in fascination. Clearly he cared a great deal for this woman.

"If it were only my feelings at sake, I would give my heart to you willingly," he continued, "but I am afraid it is not that simple. You see, before I traveled to your palace from my own in the South, Taryia told me she was with child." His eyes met hers. "You see how this presents an issue."

Koriand'r observed how Karras regarded her with slight apprehension, as if she would become enraged at this new information. Koriand'r, however, just felt confused. She rarely heard of Tamaranean royalty, and a _prince_ no less, fornicating before a betrothal. It was too risky, for this reason alone. Yes, Karras must love this woman a great deal. At least this explained his cold behavior toward her when they first met.

Prince Karras must have taken her silence for an unhappy one, for he tried to reason with her. "Have you ever been in love with another, Princess?"

Koriand'r thought about this. She had had feelings, sure. Why, it was only a few months ago where she had found herself attracted to General Phy'zzon, but love? She felt vague emotions churning in her chest, but they were too distant and too weak to come to fruition. So she responded honestly.

"No," she told him, and watched his face fall. Not wishing to have him think she did not understand or empathize with his situation, she added, "but I do not regard you with any malice for the choices you have made. If anything, I find it fascinating, admirable even." She gave him a hesitant smile as he looked up in surprise.

Prince Karras bowed his head again. "You honor me, Princess. We shall make worthy allies in marriage."

Koriand'r cocked her head to the side. "You still wish to continue the betrothal then?"

Prince Karras nodded. "Of course. My duty to Tamaran comes first. The Adaptoids are a formidable enemy." He hesitated. "Are you still willing to accept my proposal?"

Koriand'r nodded, smiling. She had never expected to be in love with her betrothed anyway, but perhaps she could find a companion in her future husband. "I do."

Over the next several days as the wedding was prepared, Koriand'r made sure to take the time to learn more about Prince Karras, after her duties as an ambassador were tended to, of course. Karras would often visit her in her bedchamber for private talks, or the two would be seen walking around the palace halls and marketplace.

She loved hearing him talk about his parents, his sister, even Taryia. Hearing someone speak about love was enough for Koriand'r to believe it existed in her world of duty and honor. They were married two weeks after they first met, joined together in matrimony by the Grand Ruler of Tamaran.

When the two returned to the palace wedding bedchamber, Koriand'r found she felt odd with their circumstance. Consummating the marriage was expected, but she had grown to view Karras as a brother, someone as similar to her as Ryand'r. It felt bizarre knowing she would have to become intimate with someone like that.

"The wedding procession was lovely," Prince Karras commented casually, as he began to remove the traditional jewelry of a Tamaranean groomsman. "Longer than I would have liked."

"Are you to say it caused you pain to wed me?" Koriand'r teased, as she too, began to take off her accessories.

Karras laughed. "Not at all. You are quite an attractive bride. There were surely many warriors who were disappointed it was not them beside you."

"I thank you for such praise," she responded, turning her back while removing her boots next. "I expect many back home wish the same concerning you." She winced as she remembered Taryia, and realized she was foolish for bringing such a topic up. She turned around to apologize and stiffened when she discovered Karras was standing in front of her, unabashedly naked.

"Perhaps we may not speak of such things on our wedding night," Karras suggested, and Koriand'r found herself nodding back.

He was really quite the specimen. Muscle covered almost every inch of his body, yet he had a lean look to him. Her eyes dipped down to his pelvis, and although she was positive she had never seen one before, she was not surprised by the look of the male body. Curious.

She glanced up as Karras approached her, reaching behind her neck and undoing the clasp on her wedding gown. The material fell away and billowed in white waves until it landed messily on the floor around her body. In that one motion she became as naked and glowing as him.

Eye contact was one of the most intimate things a Tamaranean could have while consummating a marriage, and while Koriand'r did not have romantic feelings for Karras, she realized she did care for him greatly. Strange emotions twisted in her chest, and she felt confused as flashes of images lit in her mind. They were too fleeting to make them out properly, yet they were distracting enough that she gave in to what they were telling her to do.

Slowly, and a little uncertainly, Koriand'r leaned toward Karras and pressed her lips against his. He stiffened in confusion and surprise. She tried moving her lips against his, but still he would not move. She drew back to see a look of perplexity in his eyes, and she immediately felt embarrassed.

"Princess?" Karras inquired. "Surely you already know our language, yes?" He asked the question in a half-teasing way, undoubtedly to lighten the awkward atmosphere she had created.

Koriand'r gave a small laugh, hoping that would be enough to hide the mortification she felt. First the strange gesture with General Phy'zzon, now this? Perhaps she should have another word with Galfore about this puzzlement she felt.

Karras must have realized her shame, for he did not linger on her strange gesture any longer. Instead he wrapped his hand around her forearm, his grip firm but caring, and led her to their marriage bed. He lay her down and hovered over her, using his flight to position himself properly.

As the two became one, Koriand'r found she could no longer maintain eye contact with her new husband. Instead her eyes drifted to a small table across the room. She moved with Karras, but her attention was fixed solely on a little object that rested on the stone surface of the table. It was the same device Galfore had shown her when she had first met Karras. The black and yellow colors stuck out tremendously next to the light oranges of the room.

What was this strange object? Why did she feel so uncertain? Closing her eyes, Koriand'r hoped this new step in her life would overshadow the things she felt were missing from it.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Hmm…Kory seems to be confusing things she has learned from Earth. In the comics, Karras is her first husband, and they marry out of duty as they do here. He also has a lover, Taryia, back home who he impregnates, but I just messed with the timing of these events._

 _Next couple of chapters: Maybe its time for a return to Earth?_


	4. Adaptoids

**Author's Note:**

 _I'll admit writing names in comics, especially when there are different universes, can be so confusing! You have their real names, superhero aliases which often change, nicknames, and then different spellings of those nicknames! For example, in the pool scene Dick calls our leading lady "Kory," but when Jason talks to her in Outlaws he says "Kori." For the sake of consistency, and to vary the names up a bit, I will write Starfire as Kory when she begins to be referred to as such._

 _Enjoy!_

~0~0~0~

Koriand'r knew eventually she would have to journey to live with Karras in southern Tamaran and rule beside him. She had already retired her old dress wear for a new one, as was customary after a palace marriage. She traded in her skirt and short sleeves for purple tightfitting shorts along with a longer sleeved purple uniform. Her new boots rose higher on her thigh and had a larger bottom, as they were padded with titanium to make them more durable. Her new attire made her feel stronger, like she could take on the world, like she could rule the southern part of her planet.

She and Karras were supposed to leave right after the wedding, but some of their military advisors warned about a potential Adaptoid attack. As soon as he heard this news, Karras ordered three hundred men to the Grand Palace. The couple had been lingering in the Capital for the past two months in case of a sudden invasion.

They also met with General Phy'zzon who had brought a prototype of the solar sustenance technology to be used if their people ended up engaging in battle. Koriand'r was surprised at the animosity Phy'zzon showed to Karras upon meeting him, especially since he regarded her with his usual charm. As soon as he left to confer with his troops, Karras turned to her.

"I believe he is in love with you," he told her, the corner of his mouth lifting up.

Koriand'r blushed a deep red. "You are mistaken."

"Perhaps you are in love with him?" Karras mused, pretending to think.

She lifted her chin. "Of course not. I have only met him once before now. I barely know of him."

"Why, but you barely know of me and you are desperately in love, are you not?" Karras teased. Koriand'r allowed her eyes to glow green in playful anger. "I shall take your response as a yes."

Koriand'r's eyes returned to their normal state. She tapped her index fingers together, suddenly nervous. "You are wishing to return to Taryia, yes?"

Karras cocked his head to the side. "Why do you ask this?"

She swallowed. "How are we to be married if you and your lieutenant are expecting a child? Will that not cause tension in our alliance?"

The smile on his face faded a little. "It is a most…unfortunate circumstance, but I believe the bond we have is strong Koriand'r. Do you also think this?"

She nodded. "With all of my energy."

Karras smiled. "Then we shall find a way."

The two walked through the halls of the palace on their way to the throne room. They could have flown there in half the time, but Koriand'r found she enjoyed the longer route. She liked talking to Karras.

"Are you hoping for a male or a female?" Koriand'r asked suddenly.

Karras pursed his lips. "I do not know," he answered honestly. "I cannot imagine what fatherhood will be like."

"You will be a strong father," Koriand'r insisted.

Karras hesitated. "I know with time you will bear me a child. I worry I will not be able to show the same devotion to both of my children."

"Yes. That will be most difficult," Koriand'r told him, not wanting to hold back the truth, "but do you wish Taryia was not with child?"

Karras shook his head. "I am filled with the utmost joy. I cannot wait to meet my future son or daughter."

A bright smile appeared on her face as she regarded her husband. "I am glad."

The two were about to enter the throne room when a large crash sounded from outside, followed by shouting. Koriand'r and Karras snapped their heads to look at each other, their faces a mixture of surprise and horror. They flew into the throne room at once, the force of their entry knocking back the massive stone doors against the wall. Galfore was already on his feet when they entered. He cast Koriand'r a serious look as another crash sounded outside. Koriand'r felt her heart jump into her throat.

The Adaptoids were here.

"Quickly, we must join the fight," Galfore informed everyone in the room, stepping down from his throne, a weapon already in his hand. He turned to Koriand'r and Karras. "Prince Karras, I trust you will be strongest alongside your own men?"

Karras gave a grave nod. "We have faced the Adaptoids before, I shall not let Tamaran down, Grand Ruler." He gave a small bow for effect.

Galfore nodded. "Good. Go and join them." Koriand'r turned to join Karras when Galfore halted her. "Not you, Princess. You shall join General Phy'zzon and his men. They will be testing their solar sustenance technology, and they need all of the Capitol's fiercest warriors with them."

"Forgive me, Grand Ruler, but should I not fight alongside my husband?" she inquired, tossing a worried look to Karras.

The prince came forward and took her hand. "Worry not, my love. We shall be reunited soon. I would not want my presence to hinder you in battle." He gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand. Koriand'r returned the smile, albeit a little unsurely. Normally it was custom for husbands and wives to fight side by side, but given the particular alliance of their marriage, perhaps it would make more sense for them to separate for now.

Prince Karras bowed to her and the Grand Ruler once more before flying out of the throne room, toward the battlefield. Koriand'r felt Galfore's hand on her shoulder. She turned to look at him.

"Fight with fire, Koriand'r," he told her, as more screams echoed outside. His eyes softened for just a moment. "And be safe my little _bumgorf._ "

Koriand'r embraced him briefly before flying out of the throne room, exiting out a side window so she could locate the General. She flew high above the palace and was shocked to discover the number of Adaptoids already at the palace steps.

They were huge gelatinous creatures of all sickly colors, their holes oozing orange pus. They were surprisingly quick in speed, their limbs extending out to absorb anything they could touch. Koriand'r gasped as a Tamaranean warrior was hit in the torso with one of the limbs, the contact of the ooze on his bare stomach causing the skin to bubble like acid.

Everywhere she looked there were either Adaptoids or her own people. She felt a surge of pride as she watched her fellow warriors fight with strength and fury to defend their home. At the same time, she was filled with dread as she watched the Adaptoids multiply, easily outnumbering them in a matter of seconds.

Deciding it wasn't a good idea to remain exposed in the air, Koriand'r took cover under the overhang of a palace bridge. Her eyes scanned frantically until she finally caught a glimpse of long white hair and vibrant dark orange skin. Koriand'r sent a silent thank you to _X'hal_ for allowing General Phy'zzon's complexion to be so easy to spot. She flew down, narrowly avoiding one of her own people's eye blasts in the process.

"General Phy'zzon," she called as she landed next to the man under a makeshift cover.

The General whipped around at his name. When he recognized Koriand'r he gave her a curt nod, but his eyes betrayed how grateful he was for her presence. "Princess," he said, "I am thankful the Grand Ruler sent you."

"How may I be of assistance?" Koriand'r pressed, eager to help her people. "Will I be joining you on the front lines?"

General Phy'zzon shook his head. "While I am sure you are fierce in battle, there is something else I need of you." He gestured to a large device behind him. "There is a reflector on this device which needs to be launched into our atmosphere. It is the mechanism which will enable our people to instantly recharge." He glanced at her. "You are one of the best fliers on our planet. Your ability to weave through the air is something even an experienced warrior such as myself can only dream of having. You must take the reflector and fly as high as you can without leaving the atmosphere of Tamaran. It may be the only way we can win this fight when we are so brutally outnumbered."

Koriand'r nodded, her gaze grim. While she so desperately wished to fight alongside her people, she knew this might be the only chance to save her beloved planet. The solar sustenance technology was something that had been in the works for months, and this could finally be the chance to use it.

She flew over to the device and picked up the reflector, a small titanium-like rectangle with a glimmering material on one end. She turned to Phy'zzon. "What should I do once I have reached the edge of the atmosphere?" she questioned.

"Simply charge the reflector with your own energy to get it working. It should continue to charge on its own from there." He lifted his chin and looked at her fondly. "Thank _X'hal_ you have the ability to harness energy in the form of starbolts. Your powers will charge the device in half the time that your eye blasts would."

Koriand'r nodded, her fingers tightening around the device. She flew upwards. "I will join you on the battlefield as soon as I am able," she called down to him. He gave her a brief nod in response before returning to his other warriors. Koriand'r allowed herself one final glimpse of the General before launching into the sky.

She twisted and turned to avoid getting caught in the battle. The sky of Tamaran, usually breathtaking with its pinks and oranges, was now a blood red. The combined energies of both sides seemed to have turned her home planet into something out of a nightmare.

Koriand'r glanced up, seeing an open space in the sky where she could jet to and place the reflector. As she began to fly higher, however, she cried out in pain as a gelatinous tentacle wrapped around her right leg.

The pain was instantaneous. The acid from the Adaptoid burned straight through her boot and scorched her skin. She screamed in agony, her flight jerking upwards, causing her to unintentionally lift the creature off the ground with her. As the tentacle gripped her tighter, she lost her grip on the reflector, and it began to plummet.

"No!" she shrieked, her eyes glowing green in fury. In the next moment she summoned a massive starbolt, sending it straight through the Adapotid and reducing it to a pile of burnt mush as it fell back to the ground below.

Ignoring the pain that pulsed through her leg, Koriand'r turned around and rocketed toward the falling reflector, scooping it up before it crashed to the ground. She twisted around, nearly flying into a fellow warrior before zooming up to the sky once more. Her eyes glowed a fierce green, challenging anyone to interfere with her mission.

When she felt the air become lighter, she realized she was at the edge of the atmosphere. Turning around she angled the reflector back toward Tamaran, bracing it between her hands. Taking a deep breath, she slowly charged the device with her starbolts, making sure not to use too much energy, in case the reflector was to melt.

Waiting was agonizing. It felt like she was up there for an hour, slowly charging the device, all the while still hearing the screams of her people dying below. She was angry she could not be down there with them.

Just as she began to wonder if General Phy'zzon's reflector did not work, a massive beam of energy sprang from the reflector and plunged toward Tamaran. Koriand'r immediately released the reflector and let it drift, confident that it was far enough away for Tamaran's gravity not to pull it back down.

She did not waste another moment. She jetted back down to her planet, and it only took her a moment to realize the technology was a success. While she had felt drained from her injury, now that she was closer to Tamaran she could feel the recharging powers of the reflector reverberating the sun back into her body. She let out a yell of triumph, using her new strength to blow another Adaptoid to pieces.

She was not the only one who was affected. Her fellow Tamaraneans, once tiring from their battle, seemed completely rejuvenated. They fought with new vigor, using their eye blasts to take out several Adaptoids at a time. Less than an hour later the blob-like creatures began to retreat, lifting off from the ground and gliding back into space.

Koriand'r smiled in relief. The battle was over. They had won. She glanced across the clearing and made eye contact with General Phy'zzon. The warrior had a few small burns across his cheek, but other than that he seemed uninjured. He nodded to her, an impressed look on his face for her role in defeating the Adaptoids. Koriand'r gave him a brief nod in return, letting him know she appreciated his work. She would have gone over to talk to him, but she had other duties to attend to first.

After making rounds to help tend to the injured and in some cases, collect the dead, Koriand'r finally made her way back to the throne room. She was not surprised to see Galfore there, looking as strong as he did when the battle had commenced. He did not appear to have any burns on his skin, but his shoulders slumped, indicating his fatigue. His eyes widened when they fell on Koriand'r, and she glanced down at her leg, only now realizing how bad the wound was.

Only scraps of burned material still clung to her right leg. The rest was covered by a thick, oozing burn that throbbed every time she attempted to land. Perhaps it was best to keep to the air, despite her own exhaustion. She supposed the solar sustenance technology could only work for so long.

"My little _bumgorf,_ please have someone attend to your wound at once," Galfore told her, his worry creeping into his normally intimidating voice.

Koriand'r shook her head. "I will Galfore, but I wish to see Prince Karras first."

Galfore bowed his own head, and suddenly Koriand'r felt sick. When he looked up again, he met her eyes with great sadness. "Prince Karras died in battle, Koriand'r. I am so sorry."

Koriand'r opened her mouth to speak, and then shut it again. No. That was impossible. Karras was well trained to fight Adaptoids. He was an experienced warrior. There was no way…

"He fought bravely," Galfore continued, his eyes still shining with deep regret.

Koriand'r felt her flight give out and she fell to the floor. She screamed, partly in pain from her leg, but mostly due to the loss of her dear friend. She would never see him again. She would never talk to him again, or laugh with him again. Worst of all, he would never make it home to see Taryia or his unborn child.

Koriand'r wept.

~0~0~0~

Three weeks passed, and Koriand'r was still going through the motions. She kept up her duties to the Grand Ruler as ambassador, but she lacked the joy she usually carried with her. By Tamaranean custom, she should have gone back to her traditional dress wear, but she had opted to stick with her new attire for her dear friend's memory.

Prince Karras, or his body rather, was cleaned up and shipped back to southern Tamaran for a proper burial. Koriand'r had stared at his burnt remains, his face barely recognizable. The tears that slipped down her face were welcome, for all Tamaraneans would rather feel pain than go numb. Going numb was dangerous. Feelings were replaced; memories were lost.

She hoped that would never happen to her.

At the start of the fourth week following his death, Galfore entered her room to find her staring out from her balcony, deep in thought. He cleared his throat and she turned around, immediately bowing in apology. He waved her off, and she gave a small smile, knowing her _K'Norfka_ would never expect such formalities from her.

"I request a word with you, Koriand'r," he told her, and at once she moved away from the balcony and into her and Karras' wedding room. She did not have the heart to move back into her old one.

Koriand'r moved to stand in front of her caretaker. Her eyes were wide and curious, yet they were duller than normal. "How may I assist you?"

Galfore's stared back at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "General Phy'zzon has requested your hand in marriage."

Normally such news would have shocked Koriand'r, excited her even, but nothing was a shock to her after Karras' death. "Oh?" she responded uninterestedly.

Galfore raised his eyebrows. "This does not upset you?"

"If it will help Tamaran I will except his proposal," she replied.

Galfore's face hardened. "Why must you feel it necessary to accept such an offer? I did not pressure you to do so, did I?"

Koriand'r shook her head. "I accept in the name of my planet."

Galfore slammed his fist down so hard onto her bureau that it shattered into several pieces. Koriand'r did not jump, but she regarded him with surprise.

"You will not accept if it is not something you wish to do," Galfore told her, fire in his voice.

Koriand'r bristled. "I accept in the name of my planet," she repeated.

"Why? Have you not done enough already?"

"I could do more."

"Why are you so insistent on putting Tamaran before yourself?"

"I am a _Princess._ It is my duty."

"Your duty is to follow the orders of your Grand Ruler."

"Then you disapprove of the match?"

"I disapprove of your motives. Why not take the time to grieve Prince Karras? Why not think of your own happiness for once, before the needs of your home planet?"

"Because you are so convinced Tamaran is _not_ my home planet!" Koriand'r cried, her anger finally breaking through to the surface.

Galfore's eyes widened. "What do you speak of?"

"I see it in your eyes, _K'Norfka,_ " she said desperately. "You believe there is a place for me other than Tamaran."

She walked over to her shattered bureau and stuck her hand into the mess. When her limb pulled back she held the strange circular black and yellow object that had allegedly arrived with her to Tamaran almost a year ago. "And I believe it has something to do with this." She looked up at him. "Please. I am so lost. I feel as if there is something you are keeping from me. I am finally home. Why can I not serve Tamaran to the best of my ability by marrying General Phy'zzon?"

Galfore studied her for a long moment. Then he took a big breath. "There is something else you can do that will aid Tamaran more."

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Hmmm, I wonder what that is. Next stop: return to Earth!_


	5. Red Hood

**Author's Note:**

 _Due to finals, I have decided to post the remainder of what I have written all at once. I understand this may give me less reviews, but it will be far less stressful for me to do this. Please see the author's note at the end of my final posting to help me determine the fate of this story._

 _Also many of you may be wondering why Galfore does not just tell her about the Titans. You see; I imagine if someone told you that you had this whole other life and you had no recollection of it, you probably wouldn't believe him or her. He wants her to travel to Earth herself, and hopefully her trip there will be enough to jog her memory, so she can once more find true happiness._

 _ **Keep in mind, from this point on I will be changing a lot from the Outlaws comics. Mainly I will be rearranging the order of the events, particularly the character development. You've been warned.**_ _I'll include some of the plot, but mostly it will be about the characters. One thing I am changing: Red Hood doesn't mind being on a team. The cliché where the angsty hero doesn't want to play with others is so overdone. Let's assume he already climbed that mountain when he got to know Roy._

~0~0~0~

Koriand'r packed all of her things, but ultimately decided she would bring nothing with her. That is, nothing but the black and yellow device which she clipped to her belt.

She had made a deal with Galfore. She would journey to this planet called "Earth" and stay there for six months. No more, no less. Galfore urged her that if she found she loved the planet; she may request to stay for longer. Koriand'r seriously doubted she would need more time to investigate a practically harmless world.

Her mission? Observe and report. Do not engage unless to help. Do not destroy; be careful to mind her strength. Apparently Earthlings were as weak as _glimplorks._

"I still do not see how this will help Tamaran," she told Galfore, as she prepared to leave.

Galfore gave her a sad smile. "Earth and Tamaran were once allies. We had someone to link our planets together, but they were lost. Perhaps you can be that link."

Koriand'r brushed her hair out of her eyes. "If Earthlings are as feeble as you say, perhaps we should find stronger allies?"

Galfore shook his head. "They may be a weaker species, but humans are intelligent. They are strategic. You shall see for yourself upon your arrival."

Koriand'r gave her caretaker a dubious glance, but she did not argue further. Instead, she embraced him tightly, holding on to him as if she would never see him again.

"I shall return in six months," she promised as she pulled back, a small smile gracing her features.

Galfore returned her smile. "Take care, my little _bumgorf._ "

After their goodbyes, Koriand'r left the palace, jetting off and away from her home planet. As she broke Tamaran's atmosphere, she felt sad, but also strangely excited. If this were as special a mission as Galfore said, perhaps she would enjoy it greatly. Although she loved serving as his ambassador, she had to admit it was a relief to be given something different than her usual duties.

She flew through space, weaving around asteroids as she picked up speed. A few hours passed, but they felt like nothing when she was flying. When she was in the air, or space in this case, she could have been there for days without tiring. As she continued to follow Galfore's directions, she eventually spotted a little blue planet in the distance. She flew faster until it became easier for her to see. The planet was almost entirely blue, save for green and brown landmasses splattering the world. The clouds, interestingly, were white instead of pink and orange.

Koriand'r paused. Galfore gave her instructions on which landmass to land on, but he did not specify which region. No matter. The planet was so small she could probably cover the whole of one of the seven masses in a week. It would not matter where she began.

Deciding to land on the northeast section of the landmass Galfore mentioned, Koriand'r began her decent to Earth. She touched down on the sands of a bay, which bordered a small city, and she decided she would begin her observations here. After all what better way was there to judge a planet than by its region's capitals?

Koriand'r lingered by the bayside for the better part of an hour, catching a few fish to appease her appetite. The taste of the raw meat between her teeth was pleasing, but she regretted not venturing into the city where the smells of warm and delicious foreign food greeted her. Ah well, another time. She was here for six months after all.

The next day she flew into the city, landing on a concrete path and walking next to the humans there. She did not fear them, for she remembered Galfore had said they were harmless in comparison to her. As she walked among them, several people glanced at her, and she could not blame them. She stuck out dreadfully.

While some of their stares were unnerving, many smiled and gave waves of their hands. Koriand'r returned the gesture hesitantly, a small smile coming to her own face. As she walked through the city, being careful not to disrupt the life here, a sudden realization hit her.

She had been here before.

Maybe not this exact city, but certainly this planet. The humans looked all too familiar, and she began to recognize some of the gestures they used. A shake of the hand, prolonged lip contact. These were the gestures she had been copying upon her return to Tamaran. What confirmed her suspicion though, was that she was able to perfectly understand this language- _English,_ she thought-without any recollection of having lip contact with an Earthling. An uneasiness filled Koriand'r. Perhaps there was quite a bit she did not remember after her escape from the Gordanians.

She would have stayed on the topic a bit longer, if it were not for a large explosion behind her. She flew to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast. All at once the fairly peaceful scene around her dissolved into chaos. The humans around her began screaming and running away from the explosion, just as four men with strange weapons emerged. One of the men, a large hairy looking fellow with a black bag over the top half of his head, fired the weapon several times into the sky, electing more screams from the civilians around him.

 _Guns,_ Koriand'r recalled _._

She moved forward in a flash, acting on instinct as one of the damaged beams of the building fell over and nearly crushed a young civilian boy. Using her alien strength, she lifted the beam away from him and pushed it off to the side, before flying back to continue observing these men.

 _Remember to not get involved unless to help,_ she repeated Galfore's instructions in her mind.

As the men began to move away from the wrecked building, she noted each of them had their pockets stuffed with shiny objects, probably jewelry. The men sprinted across the street toward a group of transport vehicles, each with two parallel wheels, when one of them screamed as his knee exploded in red. He immediately fell to the ground.

His comrades glanced at their fallen partner in shock before continuing to run to their vehicles. One of them never made it. Koriand'r watched in disbelief as a human man flipped down from seemingly nowhere, landing a brutal kick to the neck of one of the thieves. This new man was a human unlike anyone Koriand'r had ever seen. His face and neck were a blood red, his eyes a soulless white. He was heavily padded with armor-like material, and he held a handgun in each hand. As the two criminals who had made it to their vehicles began to fire at him, he easily dodges the bullets, swinging out of the way and throwing a blade, which stuck into the arm of one of the men.

Koriand'r watched this man-she had deduced at this point that his strange red face was some sort of cloth-land blow after brutal blow until the two men drove away, still carrying the jewelry. This red man was vicious in his attacks, deadly even, and she could appreciate that.

Maybe that was why when he jumped onto his own transport vehicle she flew after him. She was intrigued to learn more.

She easily caught up to him, just in time to see the criminals in front fire their weapons.

"Watch it you motherfucker!" the hooded man yelled in front of her as he ducked to avoid the bullets, then fired his own weapon several times. At this point all parties involved in the chase were on a large bridge overlooking the harbor. Koriand'r watched from a distance as the criminal fired a few more bullets, then held up a large oval shaped object. He pulled the top off with his teeth and then threw the device over his shoulder.

She gasped as the red hooded man swerved to the side, the explosion knocking him off the bridge and into the water below. She dove in after him, wrapped her arms around his body and then burst back through the surface. Deciding to lay the unconscious man down somewhere secluded, she found a spot by the bayside under a dock.

He was disoriented and possibly injured, this she knew. Her hands tentatively reached for his mask, and with only a moment's hesitation, she removed it.

His appearance was not what she had expected. He had light skin, not quite pale, but like a soft cream. His raven hair was short and cut crisply except for the top, which fanned out, his eyes, when they began to flutter open, were a dark blue. His visage was so drastically different than before that Koriand'r almost would not have believed it to be the same person. Her heart began thudding violently for an unknown reason. He looked so familiar, like someone out of a dream.

Or maybe a memory.

She leaned over him, gently running a finger over his cheek to make sure he was real. It was around this time when he finally focused on her, his mouth turning downwards in confusion.

"You from outer space or something?" he asked, coarsely, the tone surprising Koriand'r slightly. Her knowledge on humans was limited, but she was sure for the most part they were supposed to be polite, feeble creatures.

"I am Tamaranean," she responded.

"You're pretty fucking sneaky is what you are," he said, and she crinkled her nose at his continued use of foul language. So he had noticed her tailing him.

"You are this city's authority figure?" she questioned. "A hero?"

He snorted, but he seemed more amused rather than offended. He lifted a hand to rub his head. "Yeah, right."

 _Sarcasm. He is using sarcasm,_ she thought. "If not a hero, then what are you?"

He shrugged. "Guess that make's me an anti-hero, 'cuz I'm sure as fuck not your typical nice guy."

Koriand'r crinkled her forehead in thought. She had not heard this term before.

"You got a name?" he continued.

She straightened. "I am Koriand'r, Princess of the planet Tamaran of the Vegan System."

"Koriand'r?" the man repeated, one of his eyebrows rising. "You mean like the spice?"

"Um…yes?" Koriand'r guessed.

"Kind of a mouthful. You should go by Kory. Mind if I call you that?"

Something told her he wasn't really asking. "I believe that would be acceptable," she answered, mimicking the shrugging of his shoulders. "And how shall I refer to you?"

"Red Hood," he said, pointing to his face, and then realizing his mask had been removed, grabbed the piece of cloth and slid it back over his head. "Should be easy to remember."

Kory smiled. "You do not have the 'normal' name then?"

Red Hood whistled. "Damn. Throwing shade already. Alright, alright, Kory. I don't know you, but from what I saw back there, I'd like to." When he noticed her confused expression, he clarified, "I saw that trick with the beam. You're fucking strong."

"Oh, I see."

"So, you wanna join my team?"

"Team?" Kory inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, team. Right now it's just me, but the solo gig's getting fucking depressing. I know another guy; we go back a bit. All we gotta do is break him out and then we're set." Red Hood stood up straight. "Think of it as that hero shtick you were talking about earlier. That kind of team."

Kory surveyed the man in front of her. He did not seem anything like what a hero on this planet should be. He was rude and blunt, and from what she could tell from his fighting style, impulsive and ruthless. He would make a fine warrior on Tamaran, that was, if his hothead could be controlled. Everything about him seemed to be shouting warning signals.

But then again, what did she know? It was only this morning that she realized she had been to this planet, a planet she had previously assumed she had never even heard of before Galfore explained it to her.

"I suppose I could join your ranks for a brief period of time," she mused, "as an equal of course."

"Great," Red Hood responded, and his mask lifted, making Kory think that he was grinning. "In that case, you can call me Jason, at least when there aren't any assholes around, like those guys back there. Speaking of which, let's track those bastards down first."

"Jason?"

"Yeah, Jason Todd. That's my _normal_ name," he told her, his mask lifting up again.

Kory giggled.

~0~0~0~

"I did not realize how far this prison in which your friend is kept was," Kory commented as she flew across endless ocean waters with her arms hooked under Red Hood.

"I said it was in the Middle East, didn't I? Just how long you been on Earth?" Red Hood asked, his legs swinging aimlessly beneath him.

"I am…unsure," Kory told him honestly.

She could feel him shrug from under her arms. "You don't have to tell me."

"Are you sure this man, this… _partner_ of yours…is he trustworthy? He did commit a crime, yes?"

"He's clean, don't worry, Babe. All you need to know are the guys that have him aren't exactly the noble type. He's a prisoner, but that doesn't make him a criminal. You know, as much as I hate to admit it, he and I are actually a lot alike, though I'm way better looking."

Kory raised an eyebrow, although she knew Red Hood could not see her expression from where he was. "I would not know. I have not seen his face, and I only briefly glimpsed yours."

"Tell you what, when we get back to my base, I'll take this mask off just for you."

Kory shook her head. She was getting used to the blunt and even flirtatious tone with which Jason spoke. She knew next to nothing about this man, but something about him seemed eerily familiar. She didn't know why, but her gut said to trust him.

"Lucky for me you came along when you did," Red Hood continued. "Otherwise I would've had to 'borrow' a hovercraft from the Justice League."

His last two words caused a quick visual of a dark-skinned man with machinery over most of his body to flash in Kory's mind for a moment. She shook her head to clear it. Odd.

Red Hood instructed her to land behind a cluster of dirt hills after they had flown for a few hours. Once they had separated, Kory peered behind their temporary cover, her gaze drifting down a large hill where a stone fortress stood.

"Would you like me to break down the walls?" Kory inquired, raising an eyebrow. _So much for not interfering,_ she thought regretfully, hoping Galfore would not be too furious with her.

Red Hood crossed his arms. "I like your style, Kory, but that won't be necessary." He unloaded a small pack from around his belt, weaving his hand through the container and withdrawing a chip. "This'll give me cover for about an hour," he explained. "All you need to do is wait until you hear gunshots, and then that's when you can fucking rip these bastards to shreds." He glanced down at her belt, his mask holes rising in what Kory presumed to be confusion or perhaps surprise. "Where'd you get that?" he asked, gesturing to her waist.

Kory followed his gaze, realizing he meant the black and yellow device. She self-consciously touched the object. "I have always had it," she told him. Well, that wasn't exactly a lie.

Red Hood looked like he was going to ask another question, but he shrugged before placing the chip on the back of his neck. At once his appearance transformed into a short, overweight, white man in long dark robes with a white collar. He pulled out a small book with a cross on the cover, and then seemed to sarcastically replicate the symbol on his chest. Kory could tell he was making a joke, but she was unfamiliar with the gesture.

"Remember, one hour," he said, before clambering down the hill.

Kory watched in wonder as his distant figure appeared to talk to one of the guards, and a few seconds later, seemed to be invited into the fortress. As the minutes ticked by, her gaze never left the prison walls, just in case she saw some signs of stress inside. She wondered how Jason could possibly be so confident when it seemed as though he had little to no plan. She hoped whoever this mystery person they were breaking out was, that he was worth the trouble.

A little over an hour passed and just when Kory was beginning to fidget, the loud sound of gunshots rang through the air. She sprang into the sky, discovering that armory machines- _Tanks_ , she remembered-had appeared over the hillside as well and were surrounding the gates of the prison. Their presence would have made Jason and his partner's escape from the inside impossible…that is, if it were not for her.

Letting out a battle cry, Kory released a barrage of starbolts, watching in satisfaction as the bottoms of the tanks exploded and then deflated. The confused expressions on the operators' faces as they popped up from above were nearly priceless.

Kory flew around them in a flash, barreling into the concrete wall and shattering it as if it were glass. She found her heart was racing with adrenaline, and _excitement_. Casting one last glance behind her, she glided forward, her eyes and hands and hair ablaze in righteous fury and a smile on her face, as she made to look for her two new teammates.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Time for Kory to meet Arsenal and for the Outlaws to officially be formed. I'm excited for you to read what I have next._

 _Yeah they form kind of quickly, but I warned you that would happen. I just couldn't bring myself to write a couple of chapters of either Arsenal or Starfire trying to convince Red Hood to join a team. This way we can get to the more interesting stuff._

 _For those of you wondering why Jason does not recognize Starfire, remember in this universe he never actually met her before or even after his death when he became Red Hood, and I believe Dick wouldn't mention her much, especially if they had broken up. Arsenal HAS met Starfire though, so he's in for a bit of a shock…_


	6. Arsenal

**Author's Note:**

 _I'm curious, do you prefer reading DC Fanfiction in first person of third person? I usually don't even bother reading stories that are first person because I don't like to imagine that I'm the character, or that the author is the character. (I'm a huge hypocrite, by the way since my "Popular" series is written in first person, but hey, I was thirteen at the time and didn't even know my own reading preferences.) Luckily for me, most stories appear to be written in third person, and I'm wondering if others feel the same as I do. What do you think?_

 _Also I use some lines from the comics in this chapter; I don't own anything._

 _Finally, I wanted to remind you that this fic is VERY LOOSELY based on the Outlaws issues. I had many problems with this particular comic, as did a lot of fans, and so I am changing many things about it._

~0~0~0~

Kory found Red Hood in less than five minutes. It wasn't hard, given the man wasn't exactly subtle. She watched, vaguely intrigued as a red-haired male dressed in burgundy stood beside him, his arms bent around a bow of some sorts. He wore a belt with multiple small weapons attached, and his uniform was cut around the shoulders, exposing pale, muscled arms. Kory observed that he too wore a mask, but it only covered his eyes, rather than his entire face.

"Where's the rest of your so-called team?" the archer shouted, and Kory saw Red Hood turn his face in her direction.

"There she is."

Kory would have waved to her new teammate, but she was a little busy. Charging up her starbolts, she let them rain down on the guards surrounding Red Hood and his friend. The guards, surprised by the sudden attack, scattered like ants.

Kory landed in front of the two men and watched curiously as the red haired 'anti-hero' regarded her with shock. The whites where his eyes were widened tremendously, and his mouth hung open at an odd angle.

 _"Starfire?"_ he gasped.

Something thudded in her head at the sound of the name. Oddly, it caused her emotional pain. She turned to look at Red Hood as he made a weird strangled noise in his throat.

"Wait, what the fuck? Are you fucking with me, Roy?" he asked, at a lost.

The ginger-haired man shook his head, his eyes never leaving Kory. "Starfire, I didn't realize you were on Earth. Shit, it's been like a year." He paused when he noticed her blank stare. "It's me, Roy. Remember? Speedy?" He shook his bow. "Well, it's Arsenal now."

"My name is Koriand'r, but you may call me Kory, as Jason does," she responded coolly, not liking the fact that she was allegedly supposed to remember the stranger in front of her.

"Came up with it myself," Red Hood said, grinning beneath his mask.

Arsenal rounded on the other man. "This isn't funny, Jason. Dick's gonna fucking shred you when he finds out you're running around with her."

Red Hood crossed his arms, unimpressed. "He can fucking try. How the fuck was I supposed to know this was her? Besides, it doesn't matter. Dicky and I aren't exactly on the best of terms. Shit though, I'd love to see the look on his face. Maybe we should make a pit stop in Bludhaven…" Although Kory couldn't see Jason's face, she had a feeling his smile had turned malicious.

Roy, or Arsenal- _X'hal,_ the names on this planet were confusing-looked like he was about to snap again, but he would have to wait, for at that moment more gunfire sounded from above them.

"Hope you thought of a way out of here," Arsenal hissed, as the three of them ran to take cover behind a pile of concrete.

"Don't get your G-string in a twist," Red Hood snapped back, firing one of his guns and hitting a guard in the leg.

"Jason, is there a way I can be of assistance?" Kory said to him over the noise of the gunfire.

"Actually Kory, if you could fly ahead and take out any tanks in the way, that'd be great," Jason replied pleasantly.

Kory nodded while Arsenal looked to Red Hood in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You're just going to let her get annihilated?"

Red Hood fired his gun three more times and then shrugged. "Didn't I tell you to fucking relax? She'll be fine. Won't you?"

Kory nodded again. "I will send up a flare once I have cleared the area."

Flying fast enough to avoid the gunfire in the clearing, Kory blasted through another wall in the prison, scattering concrete in every direction. Sure enough, another tank was waiting for them, and she easily took it out with her eyebeams. Then, using her strength, she grabbed the barrel of the tank and swung it around, slamming it into the watchtower of the facility. The destruction was enough to distract the remaining guards, and Kory sent up a flare to notify Jason and Roy of her success.

Within seconds she spotted them, and they sprinted alongside her through the massive hole she had created. Arsenal turned around and sent a well-timed arrow into the shoulder of one guard who insisted on chasing them out. After he fell down, they were home free.

"Hope you don't mind carrying our asses back to home base?" Red Hood asked, casting Kory a sideway glance as they ran.

Kory shook her head. "Where is this home base?"

Arsenal grinned. "Only the sweetest place on Earth." His smile dropped, and he glared at Red Hood. "Don't think I'm gonna drop the whole Starfire thing." Red Hood flipped up his middle finger.

Kory pursed her lips, not too pleased about being spoken about as if she were not there. "I insist you refer to me as _Kory."_

Arsenal must have realized his rudeness, for he smiled sheepishly. "Right, sorry…Kory then."

The trio slowed as the prison faded away into the distance. Kory, wanting desperately to see this 'base' grabbed each man by the arm. "Please, lead the way."

~0~0~0~

They landed on a sandy beach on the island of St. Martinique two hours later. Normally Kory would have been exhausted after flying so much in one day, but the blazing sun in this area had instantly recharged her body. As she followed Red Hood and Arsenal down the beach, she halted when they came to a modest beach house made of driftwood and bamboo.

" _This_ is your base?" she questioned disbelievingly. She had expected a fortress similar to the one they had just escaped. This was nothing more than a homely shack.

"It's a work in progress," Red Hood called over his shoulder, as he and Arsenal moved into the house. They emerged a few minutes later in civilian swimwear, without their masks.

"Kory, make yourself comfortable," Jason told her, wandering over to the outdoor makeshift bar and fixing himself a drink. "You can have the room by the ocean side if you want," he sent her a wink.

Roy looked like he was about to complain about Jason's shameless flirting, but once he saw the alcohol at the bar he rushed over, downing two shots.

"Easy, Tiger," Jason said, raising an eyebrow.

Roy coughed a little. "It's been a while since I've had good shit, or any at all really." He took another shot. "Damn, that's smooth."

"Knock yourself, out," Jason said, throwing him a bottle of liquor. "Literally." He turned to look at Kory, who hadn't moved. "I'm going to walk into town and get you something to swim in," he informed her. "Be back in ten."

As soon as he was out of sight, Kory felt Roy's eyes on her. She wanted to groan. She had a feeling he was going to pester her about her past. Nonetheless, she wanted to become companions with him, if they were to be on a team together.

She flew over to the bar and took a seat, watching as Roy made a mixed drink for himself. He lifted the bottle in a silent question, but she shook her head. Earthlings' systems may be weak, but the Tamaranean system was much stronger. Alcohol had little to no effect on her.

"Mind if I ask you something?" Roy asked casually, taking a large gulp from his drink, and then switching directly to the bottle.

"I suppose not," she responded, propping her chin on her hands.

"Where have you been for the past year?"

Kory furrowed her eyebrows. "Why, on Tamaran of course."

Roy nodded, shaking his drink around. "That's what we all thought."

"We?"

"Me, Dick, Gar, Vic, Raven, all of us," he explained. "We assumed you were on Tamaran, but we couldn't get in contact with you. Vic thought you might have had your communicator turned off."

"Communicator? You mean this device?" Kory asked, lifting the black and yellow object from her belt.

Roy frowned. "Do…do you really not remember anything? About me? About the Titans?"

Kory frowned. "My apologies. I believe you have me confused with someone else."

Roy shook his head roughly; an indicator that maybe the alcohol was taking effect. "So you don't remember Dick then?"

She tried not to think about the rapid beating of her heart and the acute pain in her chest at the name. "No."

"Vic? Garth?"

"No."

"Gar? Raven?"

"You are boring me," Kory said, sighing. Would he not let the matter go?

Roy shook his head again in disbelief. "Weird," he mumbled to himself, his mind clearly still on the topic of her apparently damaged memory.

While Kory wanted to ask more about his relationship with Jason, she realized now was not the time. He was already far too influenced by his alcohol intake. She would have to try again later tonight, when he had hopefully sobered up.

Jason returned soon afterwards with two pairs of swim attire, one purple colored, one white. They were both fairly revealing, but Kory was beginning to recognize that such actions were Jason's attempt to humor himself.

Kory entered the beach shack, finding her room so she could change. She examined the device on her belt-a communicator she realized now, from her conversation with Roy-and placed it inside a drawer of her beside table. She quickly changed into the purple bathing suit and joined her male companions outside.

Jason looked up as she came into view. "Knew you'd choose the purple one. Don't I know how to pick 'em?"

"The Earthly suit of bathing is quite lovely," Kory admitted, sitting down on the sand next to Jason. She glanced over at Roy who was swaying by the bar.

"I had an…interesting conversation while I went to get those," Jason went on, "I'll have to tell you about it later."

Roy hiccupped. "This isn't about fucking Essence, is it?"

Jason smirked. "Maybe."

Once again they had lost her. She really needed to get some answers from these two. When the three eventually became enveloped in light conversation, a pair of eyes watched from a distance, focusing on the Tamaranean woman in the trio.

~0~0~0~

Over the next few days, Kory tried to find a time to have a serious conversation with Roy, but whenever she stumbled upon him, he had a drink in his hand. She was beginning to suspect he had an addiction.

"Why does Roy drink so much?" Kory asked Jason one late afternoon, as the sun began to set. The two sat on the porch, their legs hanging over the side.

"Roy's had a pretty fucked life for a while," Jason explained. "Got himself involved with someone 'from the other side' as old Dicky would say."

Kory frowned. She wished this 'Dick' person would stop coming up in conversations. "Involved with someone?" she asked instead.

"An assassin. Jade. She's pretty badass too. From what he's told me the League wasn't too happy. The Titans' weren't either. Got caught in the middle, ended up pissing both them and her off at the same time. Pretty talented, that guy." He raised an eyebrow. "Wonder what you'd have thought if you were still with the Titans, if you're really who Roy says you are."

"What do _you_ think?" Kory countered.

Jason snorted. "About the Jade thing? Roy can fuck who he wants."

"It sounds as if he was in love," Kory mused, looking out at the sea, noticing how the waters turned orange from the sunset.

"Probably still is."

"Have you ever been in love, Jason?" she inquired, turning to look at her companion. The expression on his face was so bewildered and indignant that Kory burst out laughing. "Oh, never mind."

"Alright, if we're playing the question game then it's my turn," Jason said. "Have you ever hated anyone?"

Kory glanced at him in mild surprise. "I am sure not in the way you do, certainly."

"Not even Dick? Roy says that's why you left in the first place."

She frowned. "I do not remember."

Jason scoffed. "Ah, come on, don't give me that crap. What is it with women? They get their hearts broken and suddenly they can't 'remember' anything about-"

Kory stood up abruptly. "Thank you for your company. I am retiring for the night."

Jason looked surprised at her response, but he tried to shake it off. "Whatever."

Kory stalked back into her room and sat on her bed, burying her face in her hands. She could feel tears prick the corner of her eyes.

She was so tired of feeling confused. She thought she would find peace on Tamaran, and then here, but everywhere she went she was questioned about things she was supposed to remember. Everyone kept saying she left Earth, and now apparently her and this Dick person were romantically involved. They said he had broken her heart.

She was starting to believe them.

At least that would explain the gaps in her memory. These feelings, feelings for someone she did not remember; they could be buried deep inside her. She could try to find ways to jog her memory. It would certainly clear things up, but was the pain of discovering the truth worth it?

Her head jerked up as she heard a gentle knock on her door. She automatically tensed, thinking it was Jason, but she relaxed when she recognized Roy. Apparently the drinking for the night had not yet commenced.

"Mind if I come in?" he asked carefully, noticing her emotional state.

Kory sniffed, but shook her head. She had been meaning to talk to him anyway. Roy paused for a moment, and then sat next to her on her bed. They were silent for a while, before he eventually cleared his throat.

"Something happen with you and Jason?" He glanced at her.

Kory shook her head again. "With me."

"Ah." Silence. "Uh, are you and he…? Are you, like, his girl or something?"

Kory glared. "I belong to no one."

"Oh, my bad."

Kory sighed. "It is the alright."

As they lapsed into silence, Kory took the time to observe Roy. She supposed he looked vaguely familiar, but she really could not say. Without thinking she reached over and grabbed the end of his hair between two fingers.

"Did you used to have shorter hair?" she inquired.

Roy smiled. "Yeah. I was messing with it every five minutes though; making sure it was all in place. It's easier this way. Besides, I think the look suits me."

Kory nodded, dropping her hand. "I suppose it does." She paused. "Do you mind if I inquire about how you and Jason met?"

Roy leaned back on his hands. "Not at all. Long story short, I sort of got into a bit of trouble. No one wants to work with a hero who can't pick sides. That is, except for someone who's gone through the exact same thing."

"You and he are similar, yes?"

Roy chuckled. "I definitely don't like to say it out loud, but yeah we kinda are. We both started off on the right side, got lost for a while, and now we're making our way back." He coughed uneasily. "I don't suppose you remember Cheshire? We all fought her together once."

"We?"

"The Titans."

"No I do not remember. My apologies."

"It's alright." Roy looked up at the ceiling. "Jason doesn't know this. None of them do…but I have a daughter. With her. With Jade, er, _Cheshire."_

Kory smiled. "That is wonderful, Roy."

He smiled absently. "Yeah. I only got to meet her once. Things went sour after I left to start doing hero work again. Then I got captured."

"So you were not being detained for criminal activity?" Kory clarified. She knew Jason had mentioned that before, but she wanted to confirm it with Roy.

"Nah. It'd be funny if it weren't so pathetic."

"Why are you here then, if you do not mind me asking?" Kory shifted her body so she could turn to him. "Surely you wish to be with Jade and your daughter. You should seek them out. "

Roy sighed. "It's not that simple. I just need to give her some time. Hell, I don't even know where they are right now. I just gotta hope I'll see them again one day."

Kory smiled softly. "You will."

The corner of Roy's mouth quirked upwards. "I have one question for you. It's not about Dick I promise," he hastily added when her eyes flashed green.

Kory calmed. "Very well."

"Why did you come back to Earth? If you wanted to leave so badly."

She studied her hands in her lap for a moment, thinking over the question. Finally, she met his eyes.

"To find peace."

~0~0~0~

The next morning Kory went to the kitchen to get herself a glass of water when Jason brushed past her, clearly still grumpy from the night before. Kory rolled her eyes, but she tried to hide a smile. She knew enough about his character by now to know that most things were just an act with him.

"Good morning," she said politely, taking a sip of her water.

Jason grunted, then started up the coffee maker. Kory took a seat at the kitchen table and watched him. She covered her mouth to stifle a giggle when he moved over to the fridge and stubbed his toe, letting out a string of curses. He really was just a toddler.

Eventually he sat down across from her with his coffee and a bowl of cereal. He seemed content to ignore her, but her humor-filled eyes must have gotten to him, for he finally met her gaze.

"Dick's an asshole. Never really liked him," he said, and then continued to eat his cereal.

She smiled, knowing this was as close to an apology as he could make.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Jason and Dick's relationship is…complicated. Dick views Jason as a brother, and I truly believe Jason feels the same way deep down, but it's buried by his resentment for him. Everything always felt like a competition for Jason, and all the things Kory dislikes about Dick-his controlling behavior, his isolation, his constant seriousness-are the same things that make Jason hate Dick._

 _I believe deep down Jason cares about Dick's well being, but I also truly think that a part of him really hates him for who he is. That's why he goes out of his way to make life a living hell for him. Wait until Dick finds out Starfire and him are teammates. Anyway, that's my take on their relationship. What's yours?_


	7. Outlaws

Kory had never flown in an airplane. To be fair she had never needed to before, but Jason decided it was more practical than her flying them all over the world. They were going to this place called the 'All Caste'….Or maybe they were people. She heard the phrase 'Chamber of All,' but she had no idea what any of it meant. Keeping track of this planet's culture was a bit of a challenge.

She self-consciously adjusted the baseball cap she had borrowed from Roy, tucking any loose strands back inside. Since it wasn't exactly subtle to travel in their hero attire-and since they lacked any advanced cloaking technology-Kory was left to disguise herself the good old-fashioned way: with a hat, sunglasses, and oversized sweater.

Roy leaned over her to poke Jason, who had the window seat. "Shouldn't you have stolen something from the League by now that's better than this?" he quipped, referring to the plane.

Jason waved him off. "I'm working on it."

Kory rolled her eyes affectionately underneath her sunglasses. Why had she agreed to take the seat between them again?

"Just wake me when we get there," Roy grumbled, slouching in his seat.

Kory giggled as his mouth hung open; he had a talent for instantaneous dozing. She had been with Jason and Roy for close to two weeks now, and she was slowly learning little things about each of them. Roy loved fish tacos. Jason had a habit of pacing. Roy couldn't stand the taste of wine. Jason liked to go swimming under the moonlight.

She had also learned other things, more serious things.

Roy had tried to kill himself once. Jason had a complicated relationship with his former mentor. Roy drank himself to help him ease the pain of being a father forced to be separated from his child. Jason had a tendency to lash out at others when he was really the one who was hurt.

They were certainly a complicated group. They had gone on a few smaller missions around the island of St. Martinique, as well as in the same city where she had first stumbled upon Jason. She had heard Roy saying people were beginning to refer to their team as 'the Outlaws' or in some cases, 'Red Hood and the Outlaws.' He had been rather sullen about the latter title.

Jason, of course, was thrilled, although Kory wondered if that had more to do with his hope that the news of their team would eventually reach Dick, rather than the fame of it all.

"May I inquire a bit more about this mission?" Kory asked Jason, noticing he his eyes hadn't left the plane window.

"You let me worry about that," he told her, without so much as flinching.

"Do you not think me capable of such knowledge?" Kory teased.

"I _think_ you look like a boy I beat up at a mechanic shop once," he said, finally turning to her and pointing at her disguise.

Kory giggled. A moment later Jason rose from his seat to check on the status of their flight, making sure to intentionally step on Roy's foot along the way.

"Son of a bitch," Roy muttered angrily, once he had been jerked awake. He reached down to rub his foot tenderly.

Kory's eyes followed Jason until he disappeared to find a flight attendant on the back half of the plan. Once he was no longer visible, she turned to Roy, intent on getting some answers about this 'All Caste.'

When she vocalized her inquiry, Roy let out a low whistle. "That's a complicated question."

"Then please, ears I am all of."

Roy grinned a little at her broken English before sobering. "How much do you want to know?"

"Everything, if possible."

"Even if I bring up stuff from your past?"

Kory paused. "Even then."

Roy sighed. "Jason's…always had a rough life. He was a tough kid, grew up on the streets of Gotham City. Batman stumbled across him one day and saw potential. He was going to train him as his apprentice."

"Please, this 'Batman' is the mentor in which Jason has a difficult relationship with?"

"Yup." Roy turned to look at her. "Batman always has an apprentice, or a _Robin._ When you were with the Titans, Dick had that alias and uniform, but he was starting to grow out of it. He was going to change to Nightwing, and Jason was gonna take over the Robin identity in his place."

Kory nodded, trying to keep up with the aliases the best she could. "And Dick went to Gotham to help with the training of Jason?"

"Yeah. The Titans were getting ready to split anyway. Everyone was growing up, ya know? You guys were called the 'Teen Titans,' but you weren't really teens anymore. By the end of the Titans, Dick was spending more time in Gotham than he was with your team." Roy cleared his throat. "Allegedly this was a big reason why the two of you weren't exactly an item anymore."

"…I see," Kory said, not quite knowing what else to say, given she couldn't even remember such a relationship in the first place.

"Anyways, Dick and Jason were always at odds. Dick likes to play by the rules, Jason likes to break them, etc., etc. Jason really got to resenting the two of them, Dick and Bruce I mean."

For some reason Kory knew exactly whom Roy meant by 'Bruce' even when he forgot to clarify.

"Then, one day," Roy continued, "…something happened. Jason was…killed."

Kory's eyes widened. "He… _died?"_

Roy grimaced. "Beaten to death with a crowbar by one of Gotham's worst. He was seventeen at the time."

Kory swallowed. "So the All Caste-"

"-Brought him back, Raised him, trained him, helped him grow in the Chamber of All," Roy glanced over his shoulder, checking to make sure Jason was still out of range. "When he came back, a few years after, he was…different. Had all this rage for Batman and Nightwing. Tried to get Batman to kill the man who killed him. Committed a bunch of crimes, attacked Dick. It was a whole mess."

"What happened to change him so? He is not this way now is he?"

"No, thank God. And I don't really know what changed. Maybe it was the All Caste's teachings. Maybe he was just tired of fighting all the time. Whatever it was, he gave up trying to get Batman to kill, gave up on attacking Dick, gave up on killing in general."

"He does not kill?" Kory asked, surprised.

"I mean he hasn't on any of our missions, has he?" Roy pointed out. "At least not intentionally." Roy shifted in his seat. "If you ask me, what he's doing now, this whole 'Outlaws' thing, it's his chance to make up for all his past mistakes."

"I did not realize his life was so wrought with misery," Kory said sympathetically.

"Glad you think so."

Roy and Kory jumped, and then whipped around to find Jason standing in the aisle, his arms crossed, his face expressionless. "Any chance you can move over so I can sit back down?"

Roy hopped up immediately, making some excuse about the bathroom before speed walking out of the vicinity. Kory pressed herself into her seat, unable to look at Jason as he moved past her to sit down. She swallowed, unsure if she should apologize for being so nosy.

"We'll be landing in an hour," Jason said.

Kory squeaked back a reply.

After they had landed, the team donned their usual uniforms before proceeding to follow Jason to the Chamber of All. If he was still peeved about Kory's conversation with Roy on the plane, he didn't show it.

As they journeyed down, down, down, past the winding tunnels and peculiar plant life, Kory took in her surroundings with wonder. The architecture and markings on some of the walls was truly breathtaking.

They entered through one more archway, and then the area opened up to various cliffs with numerous waterfalls filtering down, seemingly into nowhere. Bundles of clouds hung low, combining with the natural mist and colliding gently into the tremendous stone buildings. This place was older, far older than any place Kory had ever been.

"It is most glorious," she told Arsenal, and he nodded, his mouth hanging open.

"It's quiet," Red Hood grunted, looking around. "Way too quiet. Where the hell is everyone?"

Kory placed a hand on Red Hood's shoulder, but he jerked away as he heard a rustling several yards away from them. He moved forward, his gaze focused on the moving branches. Kory and Arsenal shared a look of concern, before bounding after him.

"Ducra?" Is that you, you old bat?" Red Hood called out, taking out a blade and cutting through a bush. He snapped back in surprise as a moldy, crusted, gray hand leapt out at him, wrapping around his wrist. "What the fuck?!" he gasped, kicking out at the undead person in front of him, landing a harsh blow to the creature's chest.

The Outlaws backed up until their backs collided with each other as they watched in half horror, half wonder as dozens of undead warrior monks rose in front of them. Their eyes were soulless, their skin a sickly, pale hue. They seemed to have no awareness of anything around them as they mindlessly trudged toward the trio.

"Yo Jason, you never mentioned your friends were part of the living dead," Arsenal called as he lashed out at one monk who had gone for his left arm.

"You think I know what the fuck's happening?" Red Hood snapped back.

"Perhaps it would be wise to get to higher ground?" Kory suggested, grabbing each man by the arm and lifting him up. She placed them on an overhang, where they could observe the chaos below. Kory let out a screech of alarm as a flood of warrior monk zombies suddenly burst through the cracked concrete of the building next to them.

"I don't know about you, but I'm not really in the mood to join a zombie army," Arsenal said, whipping out his arrows and aiming.

"No," Red Hood snapped, placing his hand on his companion's weapons. "You crazy? This is the fucking All Caste. We need to find Ducra. She'll know what to do."

"I find it hard to believe we will live to see this Ducra," Kory yelled, sending a warning starbolt toward the zombies.

"Someone's fucking turned them. Essence tipped me off about this," Red Hood said tersely. Kory still had no idea who this 'Essence' was, but she didn't think such information would help them now.

"Or she set you up," Arsenal snapped back, as the team backed against a stonewall, trapped like rats. "Jason, this isn't them anymore. We can't let them live…er, be dead like this. It's fucking them or us, Dude."

Red Hood smacked his fist against the wall before pulling out his signature guns. "Fuck it." He began firing his weapons, the bullets cutting through some of the zombies' skin like clay.

Kory took this as her cue. Flying upwards into the air, she spun around, using her eyes beams and starbolts to burn dozens of the undead around her. As she took out their attackers, she made sure to keep an eye on her two male counterparts in case they needed aid.

She noticed Red Hood was more violent and angry in his attacks than usual, and her heart ached for him. If what Roy had told her was true, then these creatures in front of her were once Jason's family, and now they were destroying them.

Her head jerked down as she heard Arsenal's cry and she swooped to his rescue, using her strength to barrel into a horde of zombies, sending them over the side of the cliff. She flew back to join her teammates and realized they were hopelessly outnumbered.

"There are too many!" she cried, throwing her starbolts desperately.

"Fuck!" Jason yelled as he narrowly avoided a zombie's jaws. "Well we can't just fucking leave them like this!"

"We don't have to," Arsenal screamed back, continuing to fire arrow after arrow. "I've got enough ammo to blow this cliff sky high."

Kory turned as Red Hood swore. "Shit, fine. Let's do that. But if you take out more than this cliff I'll fucking maim you."

"Noted." Arsenal pulled out a flaming arrow and stuck it in the ground. He lifted his arm toward Kory and she instantly pulled him away from the ticking time bomb of a weapon. Grabbing Red Hood after he fired his weapons several more times; she bolted into the air, turning Arsenal so he could deliver the final blow. He took aim and launched another flaming arrow at the one implanted in the ground, and the entire cliff was immediately engulfed in fiery reds and oranges.

Kory could feel the burning heat of the blaze right behind them, so she turned expertly in order to save her teammates from being burned to a crisp. She flew out of the tunnel and up, up, up, until they broke the surface, the world behind them seemingly lost forever.

Once she was sure they would be safe from harm, Kory placed her teammates on the ground. Red Hood immediately moved away, angrily kicking at some rocks on the ground. "I don't fucking believe this. I thought Essence was bullshitting. Someone fucking turned them, I know it."

"We'll find who it was, Dude. We'll figure it out," Arsenal said unsurely, although Kory could tell his attempts to calm his companion were feeble at best.

Kory flew in front of Red Hood, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Jason, simply becoming angry will solve nothing. It is what you do with that righteous fury that will make the difference. We shall smite your enemies, but only if you are committed to such annihilation. Do not let the rage consume you; let it fuel you to tear apart those who have wronged you."

Red Hood snorted, but it wasn't filled with his usual contempt. "You sound like my kinda girl, Kory."

Kory smiled.

~0~0~0~

That night, after they had returned to their base, Jason retreated into his room. Normally Kory would have encouraged him to talk or go night swimming, but she sensed he needed the night for himself. She instead walked alone on the beach, staring up at the moon.

She thought about Galfore, and about Tamaran. She wished there was a way she could easily contact him, but she wasn't sure Galfore would have wanted her to anyway. He had seemed so adamant about her mission to observe this strange planet, a planet that she now knew she had visited before and perhaps even had a real life here. Perhaps her caretaker had known that all along.

She shook her head. Her _K'Norfka_ had played her. Maybe she would fiddle with her Titans' communicator later and see if she could get a signal to Tamaran.

Looking up at the stars, she also thought about Karras. Being away from Tamaran had surprisingly reduced the pain she felt over his death, but the thought of him never being able to see his family again still caused her to choke up. She hoped that wherever he was in the afterlife, he was happy.

As she started back on the walk home, she was unaware of the putrid yellow eyes that continued to watch her from a distance.

Later, as she prepared herself for bed, she jolted when she heard a crash come from the room over. Flying into Roy's room she discovered he had fallen out of bed, empty bottles of alcohol strewn about.

His hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. In one hand he fisted a piece of paper, holding it so tightly that Kory was surprised it was still in one piece. Her eyes flickered to the discarded envelop on the ground. She couldn't make out the return address, but she was almost positive it was from this Jade woman that Roy was in love with.

"Roy?" she asked tentatively, crouching down beside him. His head swiveled drunkenly to look at her, his eyes glazed over in confusion and sadness.

"Kory, she duzzn't care 'bout me," he slurred. Kory watched him worriedly, realizing this was the most inebriated she had ever seen him.

"Oh Roy, I am sure that is untrue. You must have faith," she said gently, sitting beside him.

"No use. I'ma never gonna see my daughter," he replied miserably. He attempted to take another swig of liquor, but the bottle tumbled out of his hand.

Kory carefully pushed the bottles away from him, moving forward to wipe his damp hair from his face. She frowned when she realized how pale he was.

"You will see her again, Roy. I promise this. We shall look for her after we help Jason avenge the All Caste." Roy shook his head sadly, and Kory sighed. "I will fetch you some water."

She attempted to get up, but Roy placed his hand on her forearm, so she hesitated. He was staring at her intently, scrutinizing her in a way that made her feel unnerved. She opened her mouth to ask him what was wrong, but gasped when he pressed his mouth to hers. She carefully detached herself; briefly noting that his lips moved sloppily, in contrast to Karras' lips, which had been stiff and unfeeling.

As soon as she had moved away, Roy's face overtook an expression of horror. "I'm really sorry, Korrry; I didn't…I don't know what I…Uhhh, shit. Dick's gonna fuckin' kill me. I'm an idiot." He buried his face in his hands, and his shoulders began to shake.

Kory, still dazed at the lip contact, suddenly remembered that on Earth this gesture meant… _more_ to humans. Although she wasn't happy with the sudden gesture and was disappointed she had not even learned any new languages, she could not be upset with Roy after seeing how confused and miserable he was.

"Here, here, Roy," she said, patting him on the back. "Do not cry. I forgive."

Roy sniffed but didn't respond. Kory realized there was nothing more she could say while he was like this. In fact, he may not ever remember he had engaged in lip contact with her the next morning. She decided the best thing she could do was provide him company until he went to sleep.

Using her strength, she lifted him back into his bed, delicately retracting the crumpled letter from his hand and placing it on his bedside table. He passed out quickly after, so she made sure to tuck him in and place a glass of water by his bedside in case he became thirsty in the night. Finally, when she was sure he was out cold, she cleaned up all of the bottles, empty and full and hid them in her room. She swore to herself that this would be the last time she would let him get like this.

As she finally tucked herself into her own bed, she realized with startling clarity that there wasn't much she wouldn't do for these two men she had stumbled upon. It was true she hadn't known them for very long, but she could tell their connections with each other were already starting to run deep. She smiled to herself, realizing Roy and Jason were more than just her teammates now.

They were her friends.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Feel free to correct me if I got some of Jason's origin story wrong after his death. I tried researching the All Caste and found the information in regards to the Outlaws was fairly limited, so I did my best._

 _Next up: Team bonding, travel, Jason and Kory late night talks, and perhaps a sighting of a former Titan?_


	8. Crux

The next several months passed by with little success at finding whom exactly zombified the All Caste. The Outlaws often journeyed around the world-Jason had finally managed to 'borrow' a small aircraft from the Justice League-looking for any traces or clues.

Often times these clues would come from Essence, a woman Kory had still yet to meet. She often wondered if this woman could be trustworthy, but Jason seemed to trust her, and that was enough for her.

On days when they weren't scoping the planet for clues, they lounged around their base and took Kory out to do other 'Earth' things. Granted, the list of things they could get away with wasn't very extensive; Kory still didn't have a hologram ring after all. Apparently that was the next thing Jason needed to 'borrow' from the Justice League.

Kory heard Roy and Jason argue about the creator of the rings in question, some man named Victor, who went by 'Cyborg' allegedly. Apparently he was close with Dick, and that alone could explain the cause of their tension.

"Ooo, I'm liking that hat, Kory," Roy complimented when the trio went out for a shopping spree. Normally Jason would have refused such an occasion, but they needed to find better disguises to cover Kory's Tamaranean features.

Kory giggled. "Thank you, Roy," she gushed, giving herself a little twirl and making sure not to life off the ground in the process. She was very pleased that her and Roy's friendship had not been affected by his kiss; in fact their companionship was stronger than ever. He drank much less, and whenever he wanted advice or became depressed about Jade, he would seek out her company instead.

"What do you think, Jase?" Roy asked, turning to the raven-haired man.

He shrugged, seemingly uninterested. "She'll look good in whatever you put her in."

Kory's cheeks reddened the comment. While it was quite easy to form a closer relationship with Roy, she found it was significantly more difficult with Jason. This partly had to do with his personality; he often liked to spend time alone. That being said, whenever she joined him on moonlight walks or swims he never asked her to leave.

"Do _you_ like it?" Jason continued, jolting Kory out of her thoughts. She nodded shyly and he shrugged his shoulders again. "Kay. We'll get it. My treat."

"Thank you Jason," Kory said gratefully, removing her hat and handing it to him, before hurriedly covering her features with the hat she had brought with her to the store. His eyes moved up to the top of her head, and she self-consciously tucked the loose strands of her hair back into place. He must have noticed her flustered demeanor for she caught his mischievous smile before he turned around to pay for the accessory.

That night, Jason did not join them for dinner. It was not as though they had a set eating time together, but the trio had taken to sitting in the same room while they scarfed down their meal for the night. As soon as Roy announced he was going to turn in for the evening, Kory drifted over to Jason's room, knocking politely. He didn't answer, so she decided to search for him along the beach. She changed into the white bathing suit he had gotten for her and twisted her hair into a loose fishtail to keep it out of her eyes.

She walked for a bit, opting not to fly so she could feel the wet sand between her toes. She looked out along the water, watching in wonder as the full moon glittered across the small waves. The moonlight fell along her shoulders, her face, her arms, even more so as she waded ankle deep into the water. Kory closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath and letting it out, enjoying the gentle sounds of this paradise around her.

"You stalking me?"

Kory opened her eyes and turned around, finding Jason perched atop a large, black clump of igneous rock. He was shirtless, his own bathing suit attached to his hips. He jumped down beside her, his landing causing small droplets to attach to her skin.

"I am merely enjoying the evening breeze," she informed him, smiling slightly. He didn't respond as he waded to stand beside her, his hands in his pockets. "Are you enjoying the evening?" she inquired politely.

"You and Roy seem pretty chummy," Jason said instead.

She tilted her head to the side. "Chummy?"

"Close. BFFs. Friends."

"Yes," Kory said, nodding, "we are."

"You guys fucking?"

"Jason!" she said, hitting the back of his shoulder indignantly. He lurched forward before catching himself. Hm, perhaps she hadn't quite minded her strength.

"Doesn't answer my question," Jason said grinning, clearly looking for trouble as usual.

"We are most certainly not," Kory informed him, pursing her lips. "Although he did 'kiss' me once."

"Huh, didn't know the bastard had it in him," Jason commented, picking up a small stone from the ocean floor and skipping it across the water.

"He was most embarrassed and apologized profusely," Kory admitted, watching as the stone skipped once, twice, six times before dropping into the water for the final time.

"I bet. What a pussy."

Kory frowned at the poor language, but let it go. "I did not mind, although I do wish I obtained other languages in the process."

Jason turned to her with an eyebrow raised. "Come again?"

Kory copied his expression, then, feeling as though it was _her_ turn to throw Jason off guard for once, she rushed forward, cupped his jaw and pressed her lips to his firmly, releasing him before he had a chance to respond or push her off.

"ты видишь? Я знаю, что ты говоришь на своем языке, " she said in Russian.

"Ницца," he responded, a dazed look on his face.

Kory crossed her arms, impressed with her own cunning. It was high time he got a taste of his own medicine.

"You learn English the same way?" he asked.

Kory nodded. "I…do not remember from whom."

Jason turned away from her, looking up at the moon. "Heh. My money's on Dick."

Kory watched Jason for several moments, finally making up her mind. "Please tell me about him…and about you. About your relationship," she clarified, suddenly nervous for some reason.

He turned, a curious expression on his face. "Thought you didn't _want_ to remember."

"I do not," she said truthfully, "but I fear as though there is more to my life that I am doing the missing out on. I wish to know, at least…a _little_ more." She bit her lip; half thinking that he would scoff and deny her request.

He stared at her hard for a moment before his mouth twisted into a bitter smile. "Where should I start?"

She smiled. "Anywhere."

So he did. He told her about his childhood, how his mom had overdosed on heroin when he was very young. His dad…wasn't around. Jason figured out he was pretty handy with mechanics, and decided to use his skill to steal rather than help. Batman caught him one day trying to steal the Batmobile of all things, and could have turned him in right there, but he saw potential in the pre-teen. A few weeks later he had taken him metaphorically under his wing.

There were things Jason loved about being Robin. He loved the fighting, the ability to kick criminals' asses, and he was good at it. He loved being able to zoom through the city on a 'doped up' motorcycle, loved that he had access to all these cool gadgets.

There were also things he absolutely hated. He hated taking orders from Batman; he hated being patient. He hated not being able to take down criminals _his_ way.

He _really_ hated Dick. His predecessor, only a few years older than him, seemed to think it was his responsibility to give Jason 'pointers' on how to be Robin. He was self-righteous, snobby, and constantly had a stick up his ass. Dick always wanted Jason to do his best, but Jason always wanted to do _better_ than _Dick._

"Surely he loves you as a brother, does he not?" Kory questioned. "You may not agree with his methods, but you would not wish him harm, yes?"

Jason snorted. "Hell, I _gave_ him harm. At least at one point in my life. Weren't my best days, I'll admit. Still was funny to see him scramble though."

Kory shook her head, shifting her body. The couple had moved to the igneous rock cluster, their legs hanging over the edge so the frothy waves could tickle them.

She continued to listen to Jason, and was surprised when he began to tell her other things. Dark things. Things he had probably never told an outsider before. She had recalled Roy saying Jason had died, but she hadn't really inquired much about it. After she heard the details, the visions of a painted face, a purple suit, a crowbar, an insane smile, she almost wished her curiosity had not gotten the better of her.

"And you were only-"

"Seventeen," he replied, his eyes watching the water. "But I'm sure Roy told you that."

She winced, and then glanced at him sheepishly, recalling her discussion with Roy on the plane. Jason waved his hand to show it didn't really bother him anymore.

"I woke up and was with the All Caste. Ducra trained me from there. Damn, wasn't she a nasty, old crow. Good teacher though, least I can give her that." He looked at Kory. "I came back as Red Hood. Wanted Batz and Dick to pay for not trying harder to save me, for not going after the Joker. Even then, even when they knew it was me, they still didn't kill the bastard." Jason's mouth set into a hard line. "Doesn't matter. I'm over it now. I did some fucked up things when I got back, I won't deny it. Guess I'm trying something new."

"I like you better as a hero."

Jason chuckled. "Yeah, well, me too, I guess." He surveyed her. "You seem like the type Dick would go after. He likes redheads."

"Oh?" Kory asked, not quite sure how to feel about that.

"Yeah," he said absently, his eyes trailing over her analytically. "Not sure why you'd want to be with a guy like him though."

"And why is that?"

Jason smiled. "Cuz I know you, more and more every day. You probably hated him for the same reasons I did."

"But I also loved him. Allegedly," Kory added.

"But you stopped."

"If I loved him, if he was my _eternal love_ , then it would be impossible for me to cease my feelings. Tamaraneans never fall entirely out of love with the one we love eternally."

Jason raised his eyebrow. "So you'll always be hung up on him?" He paused, realizing she didn't understand the slang. "You'll never love someone else?" he clarified.

"Oh no, I am capable of loving again, but if Dick were to be my eternal love, then there would be a part of me that would never stop loving him." It was her turn to survey Jason. "Does this information make you do 'the freaking out?'"

Jason laughed. "It's fucking weird if you ask me, but I think I can get past it."

Kory joined his laughter. "You are also 'fucking weird' at times as well, Jason."

"Ooo, I'm rubbing off on you," he teased. "Roy won't be happy about that."

"Do not become used to such foul vernacular from my lips. It does not suit me."

"I think it's sexy."

Kory smiled, not sure if he was kidding, but she was also used to his flirtatious behavior. He laughed again and she watched him fondly. "I am glad you shared your life with me Jason. Thank you."

Jason smirked a little, staring at the water. "Yeah. Whatever."

Kory laughed, and then because she thought this would be the only chance she had to get away with something like this, she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug. He stiffened in surprise for a moment before returning the embrace, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. She noticed he smelled of smoke and the sea. She could feel his heart beating strongly against her chest, his question ringing in her ears.

 _"You'll never love someone else?"_

No, it was possible. Very possible.

That night after they had returned to their base, after Jason had gone to bed, Kory sat in her room. She turned on her communicator. She noticed she had over fifty missed calls, but she did not listen to them for fear of hearing something she could not handle. Instead, she fiddled with the device for several minutes, finally figuring out how it functioned and then calling Tamaran. Galfore picked up on the fourth ring.

And she told him her decision to stay on Earth.

~0~0~0~

The next morning Kory woke with a start. She glanced down by the end-or the head of her bed rather- and noticed a duffle bag by her feet. She turned her chin, noticing Jason standing in the doorway with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Pack your bags. We're going on a road trip," he told her, gripping his Red Hood mask.

A few hours later, the team's ship landed in a cold and barren area of Colorado. There were few buildings around, and a large evergreen forest boarded the small, civilized area. Some of the structures appeared abandoned while others looked similar to the developed buildings Kory had seen in some of Earth's cities. It was an odd place indeed, a place unlike any other she had seen.

"Uh…you sure this is the place Jase?" Arsenal asked as adjusted the strap that carried his arrows over his shoulder.

"Nah, actually I thought this would be a cool place to crash. I got some prostitutes inside waiting for us." Red Hood gave Arsenal a bland look and the redhead rolled his eyes.

"Sorry I asked."

"Would you like me to monitor the area while you and Roy search the building of informative files?" Kory questioned, emerging from the ship.

"Jesus, Kory," Roy gawked as he took in her bare skin while adjusting his own jacket. "You ever get cold?"

Kory smiled. "Not the way you humans do."

"That's why we keep her around," Red Hood joked, flicking Kory's shoulder as he walked past, while putting on a thicker layer on for himself. "Let's go, Arsenal."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." Arsenal followed Red Hood into the building while Kory took to the air.

The wind was cold against her bare torso, but she didn't mind. Tamaraneans were able to withstand such temperatures. She lit her fists with starbolts, using the orbs to softly light the area. She was sure Red Hood and Arsenal would be fine without her keeping guard, but one could never be too careful. Especially since they were looking to avenge Jason's family.

It began snowing softly in the morning air. It was still too early for the sun to affect the colors of the sky, but Kory still found the scene beautiful. She was partial to sunrises, but lately she found she enjoyed the beautiful quiet of the nighttime. She wondered if that was why Jason enjoyed his moonlit walks so much.

Her chest warmed as she thought of her friend. It was true he could be distant, and _X'hal_ knew he could be dramatic with his temper. Even so, he had a good heart; she could tell.

She was so lost in her thoughts that Kory neglected to notice the shifting behind her, paired with the reptilian eyes that ran up and down her body. She heard a sharp whoosh of air, and then the next moment a searing pain ran up her back. She let out a yell and collapsed into the snow on her hands and knees. She watched in half horror half wonder as her blood coated the snow beneath her in red. The coolness on her lower back was taken over by thick warmth as the liquid cascaded down her wound.

Despite her pain and shock, her warrior instincts kicked in automatically. Kory flew into the air again, shooting off into the evergreen forest that bordered the small town. She had no idea who her attacker was, but the only thing on her mind was leading the threat as far away from Jason and Roy as possible.

She could feel the heavy beat of wings behind her, and finally, when she felt as though there was enough distance between her and her two companions, she whipped around to gaze upon her attacker.

He was hideously reptilian. His body was a large, scaly mass, his eyes a toxic yellow. His teeth were long and jagged, his breath puffed out in putrid clouds. Kory could feel the magnificent power in every beat of this creature's gargantuan wings, and yet, there was something about him that was not entirely animal like. There was a knowledge, an awareness in this beast's eyes. Kory suspected whoever he was; his original body had been altered into this being before her.

"Who are you? What quarrel do you have with me?" Kory asked fiercely, trying not to wince as more blood dripped down her back.

His voice came out in a throaty snarl. "I am Crux. I have watched you for weeks, Tamaranean. Your kind is not welcome on my planet. You will perish by my hand."

He flew forward and Kory dodged his next blow, flipping around and using her eye beams to blast him into the snow. Crux grunted, hitting the ground with a large impact before soaring into the air again.

"So you are a xenophobe then?" Kory observed with disgust, her eyes blazing green. "Why do you harbor such ill will toward my people?"

Crux beat his wings heavily. "Years ago a wretched Tamaranean's ship crashed onto Earth. I was only human then. The flames engulfed my kin, my parents. They perished horribly, but the Tamaranean rose without a scratch. He showed no remorse for the murder of my parents, for all creatures such as he have no morals or heart. I have spent my life altering myself to avenge their lives."

Kory narrowed her eyes, making sure to keep a fair distance from herself and Crux. "I am sorry for the loss of your parents, but my death will not avenge them. Your hatred for that one Tamaranean has done the clouding of your judgment. Not all Tamaraneans are as he was."

"Shut up, you wretched she-demon!" Crux screamed, flying forward with his claws extended.

Kory weaved out of his grasp, again firing her starbolts and causing the mutant to plummet once more. Crux, who apparently realized he was no match for a Tamaranean who did not have their back turned, whipped around and plunged into a frozen lake several paces away.

She flew above him, her hands still blazing. She followed his shadow from above the lake, moving faster and faster to keep up with his figure.

"If you wish to engage me then do not flee; arise and fight!" Kory yelled at his form, her flight picking up more and more speed. She was so preoccupied with his shadow under the ice that when she glanced up she was not prepared for what she found.

A Transubstantiator.

Her eyes went wide as she tried desperately to slow her pace down, but it was too late. She fell through the technology's portal, falling into a heap on the other side. Instantly the pain in her back magnified, and the cold of the snow was almost unbearable. She was weak, so incredibly weak, as the last of her Tamaranean powers left her body. She could hear Crux's cruel laughter as he broke the surface, but she could not see him for her vision began to fade.

"Idiot girl. Do you think I would face you with all your Tamaranean strength? I know just what technology will sap your powers," he snarled.

"T-t-then you are a f-f-fiend and a c-c-coward," she choked back.

Crux snarled, circling over her and preparing to dive and deliver the final blow. In the distance Kory could see two figures running toward her from the horizon. One was redheaded, and the other had a shredded, red mask that was practically falling off his face, revealing creamy skin, raven hair, and blue eyes.

"R-R-R-Richard?" she whispered, before she lost consciousness.


	9. Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

 _Some of you may be dismayed by the Jason/Kory sparks. Nothing is final about pairings. This is first and foremost a Starfire story. That is all I will say._

~0~0~0~

Kory heard the release of an arrow and then the cry of the creature above her. She opened her eyes and tried to angle her head to determine what was happening. Meanwhile the cold of the snow continued to bit into her bare skin, causing her to shake violently.

The man in the shredded red mask appeared next to her, kneeling down beside her frozen body. He shook her, once, twice, calling her nickname, yelling at her, really.

" _Kory! Shit, Kory!"_

Raven hair, blue eyes. She reached a hand out to cup his face, her orange fingers clashing with the tatters of his mask. "R-R-Richard?" she whispered, disoriented.

A strange expression crossed the man's face, but Kory could not tell what it was. The man jolted from a large crash several paces away from them. He whipped around, cupping his hands over his mouth to call to someone.

"Arsenal, get your ass over here. Kory's gonna fucking freeze to death!"

"I'm a little busy at the moment!" Arsenal called back, and another explosion shook the ground.

"Too fucking bad! I'll take on the crocodile. Heat Kory up with one of those thermal arrows!"

The man moved away from her, running in the opposite direction. _Jason,_ she remembered. Kory wanted to call out to him. She wanted to apologize for calling him Richard, but she was so weak.

She groaned as two strong arms lifted her upper body, wrapping her up tight. A second later an arrow plunged into the snow, creating a small but powerful heat, that Kory greedily sought out. The male figure cradled her tightly, and Kory didn't have to turn her head to know that it was Roy.

"Shit, Kory. What happened to you?" Arsenal asked worriedly.

Kory swallowed shakily, her shivers beginning to subside. She cringed from the sounds of gunshots as Red Hood undoubtedly took on Crux. "Transubstantiator," she explained. "Crux has sapped my energy. Everything that makes me Tamaranean is no more."

She heard Arsenal's sharp intake of breath. "Forever?"

Kory began to open her mouth to answer him when Red Hood's yell cut her off.

"Fuck! He's coming right for you!"

Kory and Arsenal had no time to react for at the next moment Crux barreled into them, knocking them onto the surface of the lake once more. All three crashed down into the depths below.

Kory gasped as the ice cold water shocked her system. It froze every fiber of her being, penetrating her very core. Crux apparently wasn't fairing well either. The force of his crash into the ice appeared to have dazed him, for he struggled awkwardly. Arsenal waved wildly beside her, his breath coming out in a stream of bubbles as the temperature literally took his breath away.

As she watched him, dying beside her, something in her ignited.

In a furious cry her eyes blazed green, then, grabbing Arsenal in one fist and Crux in the other, she shot up through the water and into the sky, her hair streaming with fire behind her. She placed both her friend and her foe onto the ice, sighing in relief as the warmth of her powers consumed her once more.

Crux, now free from his icy prison, lashed out with his claws once more, but she hit him back with a long beam of her starbolts. The reptilian monster cried out in pain and took to the air for escape. Red Hood fired his weapons several more times, actually managing to pierce Crux's wings with a couple holes before the monster escaped. Kory could have flown after him, but she had other obligations at the moment.

She crouched down beside Arsenal; it was her turn to warm her teammate. Red Hood eventually joined them, finally calling it quits and removing the remains of his mask.

Arsenal coughed violently, his body racked with shivers. He glanced up at her in shock. "H-h-how…?"

"Crux did not take into account that my body is not like that of a normal Tamaranean's," Kory explained. "Many years ago I was experimented on by a species known as the Psions. They are the reason I have these." She produced larger starbolts in her hands, using the heat to help Arsenal. "It was a dark time in my life though, and I wish not to speak of it anymore."

"W-works f-f-for m-m-m-me," Arsenal chattered.

"Any ideas why that thing was after you?" Jason asked, glancing at Arsenal's jittering form.

Kory turned to Jason, her eyes darting to the tattered remains of his mask against the snow. "He was merely a xenophobe, intent on the destruction of my people. It is no matter. We shall destroy him if he brings harm to us again." She glanced up to look at Jason. "What happened before you came to my aid?"

"I'll explain later. Let's just get _this one's_ ass home before it freezes off," Jason commented, gesturing to Arsenal.

"W-w-well, aren't y-y-you c-c-courteous," Arsenal replied, rolling his eyes.

Kory smiled at her two friends as they began to walk back to the village. A sound of a large bird ruffling its feathers caught her ear, and she turned toward a cluster of pines. At that moment a falcon soared into the air hurriedly, flying in the opposite direction of her team. Kory cocked her head to the side as she watched the bird soar into the distance.

It was only until after she had boarded their ship again did she realize it was probably notable that the falcon was green.

~0~0~0~

"The Untitled?" Kory asked after they had returned home, frowning as Jason and Roy described the creature that attacked them.

"Essence fucking set us up before. I called it by the way," Roy mentioned. "Anyway this Untitled, she just looked like an ordinary officer," he explained, a blanket still wrapped around his shoulders despite the hot climate of St. Martinique. "It's a shame. She was a looker too."

"Roy likes anything covered in maggots," Jason quipped, and although Kory didn't get the reference, she assumed whoever this 'Untitled' was; she must have been quite a disturbing site.

Roy looked like he was about to puke. "Well… _that_ part I didn't like."

"Are you satisfied with how the mission went?" Kory asked, glancing at Jason this time.

Jason shrugged. "I think so. Files had nothing. At least we know what the fuck infected the All Caste for sure now, and that Essence was behind it. That's something." Jason frowned at the memory of the zombified monks.

Kory placed her hand on his shoulder. "Then we are one step closer to avenging your loved ones. We shall find her again, Jason. I swear it."

Jason stiffened at her touch. "Yeah," he said strangely, and then moved onto the patio.

Kory frowned as he exited the living space. She turned to Roy. "Have I said something to offend?"

Roy cringed. "Not exactly. It's not your fault; you were really disoriented when we found you."

Kory arched an eyebrow. "But…?"

Roy sighed. "But you sort of thought Jason was Dick. It…I guess he's still a little freaked out by it. He might not ever admit it, but he was definitely really worried for you back there."

She cast her eyes downward. "Oh. Yes, I remember now. That was foolish of me," she murmured, referring to her mistake.

"Nah. Jason's a drama queen. Don't worry about it." Roy clapped her shoulder. "Thanks by the way, for saving my life."

Kory smiled softly. "And you for saving mine."

"You know, I never got why you're so willing to help Jason avenge the All Caste. I get that you dig him and all, but it's not your battle At least for me I'm paying him back for some shit he helped me through in the past. But why do _you_ care so much?"

Kory thought about this. Finally, she answered with, "I suppose I can understand his need to find peace."

Roy looked confused by her response, but he didn't press further. Instead, he rose from his chair and walked over to the living room side window, sticking his head out. He turned back to face her shaking his head. "Can't believe it's only the afternoon. That's what happens when we do these awful morning missions."

Kory giggled. "You are not the morning person I take it?"

Roy yawned. "Can you tell? I think I need a catnap. See you around dinner time?"

"Of course."

As soon as Roy retreated to his room, Kory flew onto the patio, intent on apologizing to Jason. She expected him to be sulking in the corner, but to her surprise he was lounging in a lawn chair with his shirt off, a drink in his hand. When he turned his head to look at her he grinned and gestured to the chair next to him. Kory hesitated for a moment before sitting down. Instead of leaning back, however, she put her legs together over the side of the chair as she turned to face him. She kept her back pin straight.

Jason eyed her posture. "Why so tense, Kor?"

Kory took a breath, nervous that emotion would cloud her voice when she spoke. She leaned over and took his hand between her own. "I wish to apologize to you."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. Roy told me I thought that you were…someone else."

"You thought I was Dick."

Kory cringed. "Yes, but I do not know how this could be, considering I do not even remember who he is or even what he looks like."

Jason scoffed and shook his head. "You can remember. You just don't want to. Ow!"

Kory released his hand once she realized she had been squeezing it in anger. "Perhaps I do not wish to remember, but is that so terrible? Is that not my right?"

"It's your right; you just don't have to drag _me_ into it."

"Well, my apologies for being such an inconvenience to you. Perhaps now you wish you had not come to my aid."

"Don't be dramatic."

Kory's eyes blazed. " _I_ am the one who is being dramatic? _You_ are the one who runs off and expects to be left alone. You trap yourself in your room and will speak to no one. You isolate yourself when our friends and I only wish to help!" Her eyes widened slightly as she realized she had no idea where any of that had come from.

Jason furrowed his eyebrows. "I've never turned you away when you come after me. That's Dick. _Again._ "

Kory felt her breath coming out fast, partly because she was so angry, but partly because she knew he was right. She turned her head so he could not see the tears pricking her eyes, but when she felt his hand on the back of her neck, she knew he had anyway.

"Can you at least look at me?" he asked, his voice half-soft, and half sardonic. Kory knew by now this was Jason's way of compassion, and for that reason she honored his request, her eyes still slightly damp.

"Please," she whispered. "Must we always come back to him? Can I not start this new life, here with Roy, and with you?"

Jason brushed clumps of red hair that had stuck to her damp cheek to the area behind her neck. His touch was firm, probably firmer than most human males would hold their females, but Kory knew he was aware of how strong she was. She wanted him to answer her question, but he remained silent, even as his hand drifted down to the small of her back. Kory suppressed a shiver.

She watched his eyes, how they fixated on her hair, on her skin. He shifted over to her lounge chair, his left hand still on her back while his right reached up to push more of her hair back. His fingers gently traced along her neck and she shut her eyes, curious as to why they burned her. She wondered as he drew closer if he would press his lips to hers.

Her eyes opened slightly. He was still watching her neck. "Jason?" she asked.

"You have some burns from the Transubstantiator," he said, and she felt an overwhelming wave of disappointment. "On your neck and lower back, that gash seems to have healed pretty nicely though."

That would explain the cause of his burning touch.

"Oh," Kory said absently. "They should all be finished healing by tomorrow."

"Alright then," he replied.

Kory tried hard to hide her disappointment, but she assumed she was doing a poor job. She could see it in his eyes. He knew, or suspected at least.

Which was why she was surprised when he said, "Wanna go swimming tonight?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Under the moonlight?"

Jason cringed. "Well it sounds lame as fuck when you say it like that."

Kory covered her mouth to hide a giggle.

"I just figured it would feel nice on your burns," he explained.

"That is very sweet of you, Jason."

He looked at her in horror. "Sweet? Never mind I take it back."

Kory laughed and punched his shoulder, perhaps a little too hard giving that he rubbed it. "Oh, hush. I would be happy to join you for the midnight swim."

"Cool."

That night, after she made sure Roy would not drink himself to death in their absence, Kory slipped on her white bathing suit. She considered tying her hair up, but decided to leave it down, figuring there might be a chance Jason would touch it again.

He had already left without her, but this wasn't surprising. After her 'moonlight' and 'sweet' comments, she figured he wouldn't be caught dead walking down the beach together. She felt like laughing when she imagined him cringing at the very idea.

Once she had adjusted her bathing suit and combed through her flowing hair, she flew down the beach, pausing as she came to the cove where she had found him the first night they had really talked. She scanned the black rock and the crystal waters, but could not locate him. She drifted into the center of the cove, her toes just barely grazing the warm water. Suddenly, a pale arm shot out from the waves and wrapped around her calf. Kory let out a scream as she was pulled into the water for the second time today, although this time was slightly more jovial.

She knew as soon as he touched her that it was him playing his games. She gave him a good kick underwater before swimming back to the surface. He emerged with her, laughing.

"That was cruel!" she cried, only half-seriously. "Surely you do not wish to traumatize me by reenacting my attack?"

Jason's laughter subsided. "Didn't even think about that actually."

"You were quite like Crux, albeit less revolting."

"Ooo, is that an invitation to role play?" Jason asked mischievously, wiggling his eyebrows.

Kory scoffed and shoved him again before diving under the water. She felt him swim up beside her, and then she watched indignantly as he tried to swim ahead. She used her strength and flight to push in front, making sure to turn and make a face at him as she swam past. He gave her an offending gesture and she returned it, even though she wasn't exactly sure what it meant. By the time they reemerged, the black, igneous rock surrounded them on three sides. Kory pressed her back into the rock, using her feet to find a steady place for her to rest.

To her surprise Jason swam up in front of her, his eyes running from her shoulder to her neck again. She blushed under his gaze, even when his eyes widened.

"Shit," he muttered, "you're already healed."

"My people are most resilient," she told him, pressing herself further into the rock.

Jason continued to tread water. "Are your people also cheaters? I know you were using your flight."

Kory looked at him innocently. "Perhaps you are just the sore loser."

"That's cuz you cheated."

Kory rolled her eyes; well aware she was using the sarcastic gesture more and more these days. She shook her head and smiled at him, noticing how he was still treading water. "You do not wish to rest? There is plenty of room."

"Well, if you're offering." Jason squeezed himself close to her, and Kory couldn't tell if this was him being flirtatious or not. Sometimes he was easy to read, and other times…well…it was nearly impossible.

He turned next to her so his back was also pressed against the rock. He was panting slightly, and his hair clung to his forehead and neck. He sighed; bringing his hand up and brushing the raven wisps back against his scalp.

"You ever miss home?" he asked suddenly.

She turned her head in surprise. "Home? You are referring to Tamaran?"

"If that's your home planet then, yeah."

"I…miss my _K'Norfka_ , my caretaker," she clarified when Jason gave her a bewildered look. "I miss my place by his side…and I miss my dear friend, Karras."

"Why don't you visit him? This Karras guy?"

"He was killed in battle," Kory explained, a great sadness penetrating her chest at his memory. "It feels so long ago, but really it has only been a little less than an Earth year."

"Shit," Jason muttered.

"Yes. Shit, indeed." Kory paused when she noticed Jason looking at her. "Do I have something on my face?"

"Nah. It's just funny hearing you swear. Don't think I'll ever get used to it." He chuckled.

"Yes, well, I still do not think it suits me."

"Everything suits you."

Kory reddened, choosing to break eye contact and gaze up at the moon. "Do you miss it?" she questioned after several moments of silence. "Gotham?"

She felt Jason stiffen beside her, but for some reason she did not regret asking the question. "Not really," he answered.

"Are you lying?"

"I never lie."

It was Kory's turn to chuckle. "You do not have to tell me. It is the 'o' and the 'k' Jason."

"I miss some things about it," he admitted, "but not the people. Definitely not the people."

Kory nodded to herself. "That is understandable, I suppose."

They stood in silence for a while, the water still bobbing against them. Eventually they found themselves walking along the shoreline, back toward their home. They spoke mildly, but for the most part they wandered in peaceful silence. Every now and then, their arms would brush up against each other, and every time they did, Kory felt her heart beat faster. The fourth time it happened, she impulsively curled her fingers around his wrist.

Jason stared at her questioningly, and before Kory could lose her nerve altogether, she pressed her lips against his. It was brief and stiff, mostly because she was so nervous and had no idea or recollection of how to kiss the way humans did. When she pulled back, she half expected Jason to be outraged. Instead, he was grinning devilishly.

"Learning more languages?" he asked, although she suspected the question wasn't serious, considering she had already learned Russian from him.

"I apologize," Kory stammered, horribly embarrassed. "I will not do it again. It is just I…you-"

"Take it easy, Kory," he told her. "I get it. You were curious." He waggled his eyebrows. "Make sure you give me a heads up next time though."

Kory's blush ran all the way down her neck. How humiliating. Well, at least this wasn't quite a rejection. _X'Hal,_ it was so hard to tell when he was being serious. She plopped down into the sand, shaking her head at herself.

Jason threw back his head in laughter. "You know, if I found things cute, you'd be one of them." He held out his hand, grinning down at her and she smiled softly in response. "Come on, let's make sure Roy's still got a pulse."

She took his hand.

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _But wait…what about Dick? What about the Titans? Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


	10. Reunion

The next few weeks were odd to say the least. The Outlaws still traveled the globe, searching for Essence and fighting criminals whenever they could. Roy had even received another letter from Jade that had said she might be willing to talk. Kory had given him a bone-crushing hug of joy for that.

Things with Jason had also changed. There wasn't by any means a massive shift, but Kory could tell he was becoming flirtier. It was typical for him to occasionally compliment her appearance or strength, but now his words followed with actions. He'd sneak her an extra pina colada, he'd let her fire his weapons-not that she needed to anyway-and he even held the door open for her once.

Roy had looked at him suspiciously for that.

Kory was so happy with her friends at this point that it didn't even bother her that she could not define this strange new behavior of Jason's. She loved spending time with both of them, and they were a remarkable team. They were even starting to feel like a real family.

At present the team was in western Europe, searching for Crux. The night before on the news there had been sightings of an enormous winged reptilian creature in Switzerland, and the team figured there couldn't be many others who matched that description out there.

After they had combed the Swiss mountainside for the better part of three hours, they decided to take a break. Arsenal had suggested they make a pit stop into town to grab some hot soup, but Red Hood had pointed out the obvious; they weren't exactly dressed to interact with civilian life.

"Aw, I really wanted soup," Arsenal muttered irritably, rubbing his jacket sleeves.

"Fear not, Friend. I shall make for you a Tamaranean stew when we return home," Kory told him. Arsenal's eyes near popped out of his head, and Red Hood smirked beneath his mask.

"Uh, that's okay Kory. Remember the last time you cooked for me?" the redhead prodded.

Kory frowned. "Oh yes, you were more the hung over than ever I had seen with alcohol."

"You aren't exactly the Iron Chef, Kid," Red Hood quipped, and although Kory did not know whom this 'Iron Chef' was, she could make out Jason's teasing tone anywhere. She stuck her tongue out in response, a childish reaction she had seen Roy do many times.

"Aww, don't be like that," Red Hood said, nudging her shoulder firmly.

"Gross," Arsenal said, cringing. Red Hood, without flinching, stuck his middle finger out at Arsenal. "Well, that was uncalled for," the archer added.

"You still talking, Ginger Spice?" Red Hood asked.

As the men exchanged insults with one another, Kory floated beside them, looking around and trying to take in the beautiful scenery. Her eyes narrowed in confusion when she saw a falcon swoop in their direction. Normally a bird so far away would barely be seen against the brown and white cover of the mountains, but this bird stood out starkly…probably because it was green.

"Red Hood, Arsenal," Kory asked carefully. "Do you suppose Crux can change his form?"

The two paused. Arsenal frowned. "Why would you say that?"

Kory pointed at the falcon approaching them, unsure if she should be prepared to fight or not. Red Hood didn't waste any time removing his weapons, but Arsenal placed a hand on his arm.

"Don't," Arsenal said, his voice strained despite the fact he made no move to ready himself for battle. "I have a feeling this is a visitor for Kory."

Kory opened her mouth to ask him to clarify, but it turned out he didn't have to. In only a few moments the falcon changed in midair, and Kory watched in wonder as a young, green-skinned man wearing a red and white uniform appeared before their eyes.

"Gar," Arsenal addressed the man evenly, but the newcomer didn't even glance at the archer. He stared directly at Kory, a mixture of happiness, anger, confusion and sadness in his eyes. Kory blinked; unnerved that someone she had never met could look at her in such a way.

 _Perhaps I have met him,_ she reminded herself, _during my first time on Earth._

"Starfire," the green man spoke, and Kory stared at him blankly.

Red Hood glanced from the changeling to Kory. "You know this guy, Kory?"

Kory shook her head, and the green one's face twisted slightly in hurt.

"Kory, this is Garfield…you knew him as Beast Boy. He was on the Titans with you," Arsenal explained.

"What's going on? Why doesn't she remember me?" Beast Boy asked, turning to Arsenal angrily. "Did you do something to her? Or you?" He glared at Red Hood.

"Chill out, Spinach Balls," Red Hood scoffed, crossing his arms.

"We didn't do anything," Arsenal said, coming between Beast Boy and Red Hood when the former emitted a growl. "She came back to Earth like this. She doesn't remember anything about when she was here the first time."

"Not like you or your buddies made the effort to find her until now," Red Hood added, unhelpfully.

Beast Boy's shoulders slumped, and he turned to address Kory, who still regarded him warily. "We tried, Starfire. We really did."

 _Again with that name. Starfire._

Beast Boy's voice became choked. "Last year me, Rae, and Cy…we tried visiting you on Tamaran, but they wouldn't let us land. They wouldn't even let us talk to Galfore!" He held out his hand and for the first time Kory noticed a gold ring on one of his fingers. "Raven and I tried to get in touch with you. We…we really wanted you at the wedding…and…and Dick-"

"You know Dick?" Kory asked, cocking her head to the side.

Beast Boy looked at Arsenal helplessly. "Maybe it was a waste of time to track you here," he told her, turning back. "I get if you want to live your own life and stuff. When I saw you for the first time a couple of months ago during my own mission, Raven and Cyborg told me to leave you be. They tried to stop be from coming today, even. They said you would find us if you wanted to be found." He winced. "Actually they may be-"

Kory jumped as a portal of black energy opened several feet away from them. A pale-cloaked woman and a man with machinery covering most of his body emerged, their eyes looking at her in the same way Beast Boy's had. Kory deduced this must be Raven and Cyborg.

"Damn," Cyborg said softly, looking at her. "Star, I can't believe it's you. What's it been? Two years?"

Raven watched her sadly, but did not speak. She surveyed Kory in a way that unnerved her, as if she knew everything about her that Kory had yet to figure out.

"It's no use guys. She doesn't remember anything," Beast Boy said miserably.

"What the hell? Did you do something to my baby sister, Todd?" Cyborg accused, pointing his finger at Red Hood.

"Aw come on, why's everyone think it's me? I'm a good guy now."

"Starfire," Raven finally said, approaching her. "This has to do with Dick…doesn't it?"

Kory felt her heartbeat pick up. She didn't know what was happening, but suddenly she felt nauseous. "My _name_ is _Kory."_

Raven quirked an eyebrow in surprise, but did not give a verbal response.

"Speaking of good old Dick, does bird boy know she's back?" Red Hood asked, trying to sound offhand, but Kory could tell he really wanted to know the answer.

"Oh fuck, I hope not," Arsenal muttered.

"Oh he knows alright, and if he knew we were here he'd lose his goddamn mind," Cyborg said, shaking his head.

"He's going to want to find her eventually," Beast Boy added. "He's a freaking mess."

"Hell, this whole thing's a mess," Cyborg sighed. He looked at Kory. "I just want my sis back."

"Rae, isn't there something you can do to make her remember us again?" Beast Boy asked.

"That's actually not a bad idea," Arsenal offered.

"The fuck it isn't!" Red Hood snapped. "What if you screw up her brain?"

"We should at least give it a shot," Cyborg argued.

Kory's eyes blazed. "I would appreciate it if all of you would not talk of me as if I am not here. I wish I could remember things and be of use to you, but I cannot. Regardless, do not make the mistake of thinking my brain is injured." She took a deep breath so she would not burn the ground around them.

Beast Boy and Cyborg at least had the decency to look guilty. Red Hood looked away angrily, and Arsenal just looked uncomfortable. Raven approached Kory again, this time placing a hand on her shoulder. The touch from the violet haired girl, made Kory instantly calmer for some reason.

"Maybe we can go somewhere else," Raven suggested. "Some place where we can talk this all out."

Kory sighed, releasing the tension in her shoulder. "Yes. I believe that is a good idea."

"Let's just go back to base," Arsenal suggested. "This mission was a bust anyway." Red Hood whipped around, clearly about to object to returning to base with the former Titans, but Arsenal responded with a resounding, "Jason, blow me."

"Can't fucking believe this," Red Hood muttered furiously.

Kory watched him, wondering why he was so worked up about them talking to her former teammates. Or perhaps it was the thought of regaining her memories that bothered him?

"I'll teleport us there," Raven said, extending her corporeal form and enveloping them all. A moment later they were in St. Martinique, right outside the Outlaws' home. As soon as they arrived, Kory noticed three things.

The first was that it was a beautiful day. The second was that an unfamiliar aircraft was parked several paces from their shack.

The third was that Dick was there, leaning against the railing of their porch.

She knew it was him the moment she laid eyes on him. His raven hair, the way his jaw curved, the tense posture in his shoulders, his eyes hidden behind his signature, domino mask.

 _Robin,_ she thought, and then shook her head, _No, it is…Nightwing…That is his alias now._

Kory winced as a pressure in her head began to build up, and she knew her memories were trying to break through to her consciousness. She wasn't sure if this was something she entirely wanted. Judging by the looks on Raven, Beast Boy and Cyborg's faces, however, she could tell his sudden appearance was the last thing they had expected as well.

"Glad to see you're back," Nightwing said to nobody in particular. Every syllable was laced with tension, as if he would break at any moment. He stood up straight and walked slowly toward their group.

"Oh, _fuck,_ no," Red Hood snapped, and Kory glanced at him in alarm. "You don't just get to fucking show up here and-"

"Spare me, Jason."

"Fuck you!"

"Jase, come on, let's just hear him out," Arsenal said, trying to defuse the situation.

"Actually, I'd like to hear _you_ out, Roy," Nightwing said calmly, but Kory could tell he was probably just as angry as Jason. "As a matter of fact, I think you _all_ owe me an explanation." He turned his face to survey the rest of the former Titans, save Kory. Beast Boy and Cyborg winced, but Raven returned Nightwing's gaze, refusing to be intimidated by the man's anger.

"Dude, come on," Beast Boy tried, "you know we, like, just found out for sure she's been back."

Nightwing's face twisted with a strange emotion. He turned to Kory. "How long have you been here? With _them?_ A month? A year? You could have at least reached out to us."

Kory opened her mouth, but she honestly didn't know what to say. She was almost grateful when Red Hood cut in, hissing, "There are a lot of fucking things you don't know about us."

This visibly enraged Nightwing. "I wasn't talking to you."

"Don't give me that. You just came here to stir shit. Don't act like you're being fucking constructive."

A vein throbbed in Nightwing's neck. "The fact that you've fucking been _hiding_ her under my nose-"

"Dick," Raven finally piped in, "while I can't say I agree with Jason's… _methods_ …he does have a point. There is something you don't-"

"I do not remember my time here on Earth," Kory blurted, tired of everyone beating around the bush.

Nightwing stiffened. "Starfire…what-"

"My name is Koriand'r," she said evenly. "And before you even think of accusing Roy or Jason of altering my memory, you should know it has nothing to do with them."

She watched the anger leave him as he became flustered. "What…b-but how?" He paused. "You don't remember anything? Nothing at all?"

Her heart began pounding. "No," she lied, knowing that with each passing day she remembered more and more. She ignored the knowing glance Raven gave her. "I would appreciate it if you would leave me be."

She felt Red Hood's arm come around her shoulders. She could practically feel the smugness radiating off of him. "You heard her, Dick. I'll say it again if I have to. Fuck off."

Kory watched as a dark rage crossed Nightwing's face. She watched as his gaze moved from Red Hood to herself, making a silent connection. She felt her own anger bubbling in her stomachs, at Dick and at Jason. At Dick because he had no right to become angry, and at Jason because he was only being possessive to get a rise out of Dick. Her teeth scraped together as it dawned on her that even now, it was still a competition between the two of them.

Nightwing's anger faded and was replaced with an aura of defeat. "Alright. I'll go. Just…don't completely disappear on us this time, Kory."

She watched him in surprise, and was even more surprised when she nodded in return. "I expect we shall all see each other soon," she responded. She felt Red Hood's arm stiffen around her. Nightwing seemed to perk up a little at this and he nodded, a hopeful smile on his face. The others also seemed to take this as a good sign.

As Nightwing began to walk back in the direction of his ship, he stopped and turned. "Sometimes," he sighed, "there are things I wish I'd said differently...back at the pool."

Back at the pool.

At the pool.

The pool.

 _Pool._

An explosion in her head. For a moment nothing. And then everything.

Raven's head snapped to her in alarm, and when Kory regained her ability to focus on her former teammate, she shook her head slowly and softly. For now this would be their secret.

After the four heroes left, a little awkwardly to say the least, Kory pushed away from Red Hood and went to her room. She needed to be alone. The pain in her chest, in her heart, was almost unbearable. The loss of Dick, his admission that he didn't love her, it returned to her in full force.

Roy was the first to check on her. He brought her some water and dinner. He didn't say much, but he apologized a lot, said he should have been more helpful. He left soon afterwards, probably sensing she needed to be by herself.

Jason, however, didn't sense this, or at least he refused to respect it.

He barged in a few hours after dinner, still in his uniform but without his mask. Kory sat up in her bed, outraged at his lack of empathy. Her pain was temporarily obscured with a blind rage.

"Mind telling me what the fuck you meant when you said you'd see them soon?" he asked, irritation written all over his face.

"I plan on seeing them again. I have not in quite some time. I spent a significant portion of my life with them. Surely I can become reacquainted?" She didn't want to tell Jason that she remembered. Not yet. He didn't deserve it.

"I can't believe this. I knew you'd go right back to him."

Her eyes glowed. "You do realize even if I wished to do so, your opinion holds no bearing?"

"We're on a fucking team, aren't we?"

"Yes, and I never said I would leave this team. It does not have to be a choice between the Outlaws and the Titans."

"Of course it does!" he snapped. "You're forgetting Dick and I have a history. You think he's just going to leave us alone now that he knows for sure you're with us? He and I aren't exactly going to be butt buddies now."

"Why do you insist on always making it about Dick?" she fumed.

"Because it's _always_ about Dick."

"Because you make it so!"

Jason scoffed. "At least I'm still able to get under his skin. That's a fucking bonus."

Kory flew up into his face, her eyes narrowed into green slits. "I should have seen it, but I suppose I was blinded since I met you. It was never about you or about me, or even about the Outlaws. It was always about Dick. Everywhere I go, I cannot escape it." She felt tears form in her eyes, but she blinked them away angrily. "He is with me wherever I go…and _you_ , when I…when we…whatever I thought you may have felt I see now has been a fantasy. The only thing you care about is doing the ruining of his life."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do not pretend to be naïve. You placed your arm around me to do the sending of a message to him, not out of caring for me. You do not care. Not at all."

"You think I don't fucking care?" he shouted.

They stood in silence for a few moments. She stood there, watching him with tears in her eyes, the fight finally leaving her. She was so, so tired of having her life revolve around Dick, and she suspected Jason knew that. She watched as he came closer to her, his face still unbearably tense.

"You're right," he said gruffly, his hand coming up to cup the back of her head. "I _do_ care about that fucking bastard." He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, before opening them again to look at her. "But I care about you more."

His mouth covered hers, his lips firm, but his movements slow. She felt his arms come up around her, felt his tongue move into her mouth, sliding softly back and forth. He kissed her for a few moments and then pulled back, looking at her curiously. They stood in silence for what felt like hours.

Finally-

"I didn't just fuck up, did I?" he asked.

She gave him a tiny smile. "You always do the fucking up, Jason."

He grinned. "Well, damn."

Kory shook her head, still smiling softly. "You do realize I cannot turn my back on the Titans, yes? They are my family…even if the details are the fuzzy."

"Yeah, yeah," Jason said tiredly. "I mean, I can't promised I won't flip a shit every now and then, but I'll tone it down." He frowned, and Kory could tell he was still thinking about Dick. She knew it wouldn't be easy for him; their brother-like relationship was complicated at best, but she appreciated that he was willing to give it a shot.

"Thank you, Jason."

"I try." He actually _did_ look thoroughly exhausted, as if he would rather fight a thousand Cruxes than talk about his feelings. The Earthen men she met seemed to have that in common.

She paused, realizing that with her memories, only being referred to as Kory sounded odd. She had always been known as Starfire on Earth, but was she ready to embrace her past self again?

Only one way to find out.

 **Author's Note:**

 _Hmmm, so a shift in Jason and Kory's relationship, yet it's not really defined…That's pretty much how I picture them. Not exactly friend's with benefits, because there is something more intimate there, but certainly not boyfriend and girlfriend. Coming up, more Titans….and more Dick/Kory. Something's gotta shift with those two._


	11. Missing

Almost every day since the Titans' visit, Kory…or _Starfire_ had kept in touch with Raven via the Titans' communicator. She burst into tears as soon as she had called the empath for the first time, and had to convince the half-demon that she did not have to teleport there to check on her well-being. Starfire apologized over and over again for being emotionally unavailable, for missing Raven and Beast Boy's wedding, and for letting her pain get the best of her mind.

Raven, of course, told her she was being ridiculous, and although the shorter girl always did well to hide her emotions, Starfire swore she could see pricks of water in her own eyes.

That was another thing. Every since she had regained her memories, she found she could not continue to go by the name Kory. On Earth she had always been Starfire, and it felt wrong to only be called another name. Raven had convinced her to tell Roy and Jason the truth about her remembrance, and she finally agreed. Roy had readily agreed to begin calling her Starfire again-he had been calling her that for years anyway. Jason, understandably, was a little thrown off by it.

"You'll always be Kory to me," he told her in his stubborn way, but every now and then he'd mix it up and call her by her other name.

Raven had also convinced her to tell Beast Boy and Cyborg about her revelation, but Starfire had made her swear to let her tell Dick in person when she was ready. The two had a lot to talk about, after all.

Now that she thought about it, Jason and her had quite a bit to discuss as well, but she was too content with how things were right now to bring anything controversial up. She knew they did not have a relationship, at least not in the way things had been with Dick, but there was something more, something deeper than just friendship.

Occasionally, after a long mission he would come into her room and run his hands and lips along her body in the dark. Her hands would tangle in his hair, and she would become breathless. It never went further than that, and he would never stay the night. Although his motives made her curious, she was also grateful for the slow pace. Her pain and longing for Dick was still so great, that she did not wish to use her affection for Jason to ease her pain. She cared for him too much for that.

She lay next to him on the sand one day, the two of them watching as Roy tested out arrows he had modified. He took aim and struck a palm tree, before pacing forward and ripping the head out of the trunk and then starting again. Starfire smiled as the redhead occasionally sent them a suspicious look, as if he expected them to start making love in front of him, and while Jason tended to be showy, he was certainly private about some things.

"How long do you think he's gonna be at it?" Jason asked, absently sprinkling sand along her orange thigh. She watched as the tops of his shoulders became pink under the Caribbean sun.

"Until I can account for these new modifications," Roy called back, letting loose another arrow.

"Wasn't talking to you, Fuck Face."

"I love you too, Jason."

Starfire laughed at their antics. She felt Jason's hand brush the small of her exposed back before he decided against it. She smiled softly at the feeling.

Although she was having a pleasant time with the two of them, it was still very difficult dealing with her emotions. Even when she was happy she carried a pressure that felt like sorrow and defeat in her heart. It never got to the point where her mind made her chose between memory and oblivion, but there was a part of her that was afraid it would again.

She jolted when she felt the vibration of her communicator against her calf. Ever since she and Raven had reconnected, she took it with her wherever she went. Jason watched her, a frown on his face, but unlike a few weeks ago when he would have made a snarky comment, he kept his opinions to himself. She appreciated that.

"Hello, Friend Gar," Starfire said in slight surprise when she recognized the green face staring back at her. While she occasionally spoke to Cyborg and Beast Boy, it was usually Raven that called.

"Starfire," Beast Boy said, his voice coming out strained. "Vic and I need your help."

Starfire stiffened. "What is it? Is someone injured?"

"It's Raven. She's been captured."

Roy came over to sit beside Starfire and Jason, his face also etched with concern. "Do you have any leads?"

"I-I don't really know. We were out patrolling in northern California, when this…this _creature_ came out and grabbed her." He paused, looking as if he were debating on telling them something. "It was that animal you guys fought a while back…I only caught the tail-end of the battle but..."

"Crux?" Jason asked, narrowing his eyes. "How the fuck would you know about that?"

Beast Boy grimaced. "I was sort of tracking Starfire. There had been rumors she was back with a new team, and I had to find out for myself."

"Yes, I recall seeing a green falcon on that day," Starfire remarked. "So you believe Crux took Raven?"

"I'm almost positive. The freaky thing was that he went straight for her. He didn't even engage us! Why the hell would he want her?" he questioned, his voice becoming a little desperate.

"Crux is a xenophobe," Starfire explained. "His only goal is to eliminate those who were not born on this planet." She stood up from her place in the sand. "We will do anything we can to help. My team shall meet you at the place where Raven was last seen."

" _Your_ team?" Jason asked from the ground, followed by a cry of pain as Starfire kicked him.

"Thanks Kory. I know you're probably just as scared as I am." Beast Boy swallowed. "Vic's already here with me, and Dick is on his way."

Starfire tried not to be uneasy by this news. While she was certainly mature enough not to let her emotions get in the way of finding Raven, she was not so certain about Dick and Jason. "Of course. We shall be there shortly."

After she ended the transmission, she turned to Roy. "Please do the 'firing up' of the craft Jason has 'borrowed' from the Justice League. We will need to travel to California as quickly as possible."

Roy immediately rose and started jogging back to their base. Jason stood up slower, regarding her in a way she had not seen before.

"Maybe you two should go without me," he suggested.

She raised her eyebrows. "Why would you say such a thing?"

"I know you care about your friend. It'll just be easier if I'm not there to cause problems."

Starfire smiled affectionately. "While I appreciate your concern, you are also my friend Jason, as well as an exceptional teammate. It would not be right if you were not by my side."

Jason let out a sigh. "Alright Kory, don't say I didn't warn you though."

"I shall not."

~0~0~0~

As soon as Cyborg had given them the coordinates, the Outlaws took to the skies until they touched down in a clearing in northern California. Starfire flew out at once, followed by Arsenal and Red Hood. She quickly discovered they were the last party to arrive, and she made every effort not to stare at Nightwing for too long. She noticed that as everyone gathered in to be briefed by Beast Boy and Cyborg, Red Hood stood off to the side, clearly feeling out of place.

"We were patrolling along this outer stretch here," Beast Boy explained, "and then he literally swooped out of nowhere. He said something along the lines of 'demon scum,' and then just grabbed her with his talons." Beast Boy's eyes furrowed. "I tried to stop him but he knocked me into the ground and…the details became kind of fuzzy."

Starfire watched as his hands shook in worry and anger. She knew the feeling. She was also terrified for her friend.

"Gar says you've faced this guy before," Cyborg mentioned, glancing at Starfire, Arsenal and then Red Hood. "Any chance you still have a bit of his DNA from when you last engaged him? It would make tracking him less complicated."

Starfire shook her head miserably. "It was so long ago, I am sure we do not have any."

"We'll have to do things the old fashioned way then," Nightwing said, and then cast a sideway glance at Red Hood. "Maybe we should split up. We'll cover more ground that way."

"Sounds good to me," Arsenal added.

"Alright," Cyborg said, stepping forward, "Let's fan out and then regroup in two hours. Arsenal, you go west with Red Hood. BB and I will continue North and…ah, shit…"

Everyone seemed to tense as they realized whom the final pairing would contain. Starfire felt her heart beat pick up, and although Nightwing always did well in hiding his true feelings, he was starting to look like he might be sick.

"Uh…maybe I could go with Dick, or Star maybe you could go with Roy or-"

"It is alright, Victor," Starfire spoke up, surprising them all. "Finding Raven is of the utmost priority. I will not let anything else distract me." She caught Red Hood's mask lifting up in a questioning way, and she gave him a nod of reassurance, which he returned.

"You heard the woman, let's stop standing around with our dicks out and get this piece of shit," Red Hood spoke for the first time since they had landed. As he passed Starfire, he gripped her shoulder briefly before he and Arsenal began to head West. She smiled at him appreciatively, grateful that he was respecting her request and not making a scene.

Beast Boy and Cyborg left soon after them, both men casting uncertain glances at their former teammates before disappearing into the thicket. With a deep breath, Starfire turned to Nightwing.

"I shall take to the air, while you scour the ground?" she suggested.

Nightwing seemed mildly surprised that she had spoken to him directly. "Sure," he said nodding, and she took to the skies.

This wasn't so difficult. At least this way they could focus on finding Raven without any drama. They traveled East in silence for what felt like a long time, when he suddenly called up to her.

"Star," he said, "come look at this."

Starfire landed on the forest floor and approached him, albeit a little cautiously. Her gaze fell to his hand where he held a piece of dark blue cloth.

"Raven's cloak," she whispered, coming to stand by him to get a better look.

"We must be on the right path," Nightwing reaffirmed. "I'll call the others." He took out his own Titans' communicator and sent a signal to Cyborg and Arsenal. "They should all meet us back here shortly."

"Yes," Starfire said, nodding, and then the two lapsed into an awkward silence.

Just when Starfire thought she could take it no more, Nightwing spoke up. "How is Galfore?"

Starfire smiled a little. "He is wonderful. Tamaran is lucky to have him as Grand Ruler."

Nightwing nodded absently. "Yeah, he's always been intimidating, that's for sure."

"The best warriors are," Starfire agreed.

"Are you…enjoying yourself on Earth?"

 _X'Hal, I know I must tell him. It is not right to keep him 'in the dark.'_

"Yes," she said hesitantly, "almost as much as the first time I was here."

Nightwing gave her a bewildered look and she nodded to confirm his suspicions.

"How-" he began to ask.

"When you mentioned the pool a couple of weeks ago," she explained, "it…some things became startlingly clear."

"…Oh."

Starfire stared at her feet, feeling extremely uncomfortable. She felt ashamed that even after two years it felt as if he had told her he didn't love her only yesterday.

"I…said a lot of things I shouldn't have back then," he said suddenly, "and I didn't do a lot of things I should have."

"Yes," she replied bluntly, "but that is in the past."

"Is there any way we could…talk about some things…?"

"Not while Raven is still missing," she said evenly, slightly annoyed that he was still pushing the conversation.

"You're right, sorry."

She wasn't sure if he meant sorry for now, or for two years ago. Luckily she didn't have to answer because the others arrived soon after to study what Nightwing had found. As soon as her team had rejoined her, she moved away from Nightwing and went to stand by them.

"He say anything to you?" Red Hood whispered to her as she floated beside him.

"Nothing I could not handle."

"Ooo, we've got a badass on our hands," he muttered teasingly, and her lips quirked into a small smile. As she flew forward to get Cyborg's opinion on the trace of Raven, she tried to ignore Nightwing's annoyed glance that was cast in their general direction.

Cyborg furrowed his eyebrows in concentration as he scanned Raven's cloak.

"What's it saying? Is she close?" Beast Boy asked, understandably on edge.

"It's hard to say. We're definitely heading in the right direction, but I don't know how much further we should go."

"I may have an idea," Starfire said suddenly, charging up her fists and letting lose a massive green flare far above the group. The sky, which by now was almost completely dark, lit up in a brilliant display of neon greens.

"Good idea, Star," Nightwing said. "If Raven's nearby she'll send us a sign."

He looked at her appreciatively, and Starfire stared at the ground. She was thankful for the cover of darkness for she was mortified to discover she was blushing. _X'Hal,_ had nothing changed?

"As for right now, all we can do is wait. Set up camp maybe," Cyborg inferred.

"Are you insane? We have to keep looking!" Beast Boy chimed in angrily.

"As much as I hate to stop searching while Raven's still out there, Cy has a point Gar," Nightwing said, trying to reason with the changeling. "It's already almost pitch black. We won't be able to cover much ground without daylight."

"You guys set up camp then, I'm going to keep searching," the changeling responded tersely. Then, before anyone could reason with him, Beast Boy morphed into a wolf and disappeared into the thicket once more.

Cyborg sighed. "Can't say I blame him. Well, if anyone can search effectively in this darkness it's gonna be him."

"You're right," Nightwing muttered in agreement.

"So, what's this about a camp being set up?" Arsenal inquired.

Cyborg puffed out his chest. "Leave that to me." He removed a small box from his torso and placed it on the ground. At once it expanded to cover the small clearing the group was in, folding upwards into an overhang and providing a makeshift shelter equipped with about ten mattresses.

"Seems a little overkill," Arsenal said, surveying the shelter.

"Won't hear you complaining later tonight when you got a roof over your head," Cyborg quipped back.

As Nightwing, Arsenal and Cyborg became involved in mild conversation, mostly about different methods to look for Raven, Starfire looked around for Red Hood but found he was not in the shelter. She stepped out from under it and discovered he was by the edge of the clearing. He sat on the ground, his back leaning against a tree and his mask removed. She watched as his head fell back tiredly against the trunk.

Drifting so she sat next to him, she cocked her head to the side. "Why are you not in the shelter?"

He opened his eyes to glance at her. "When do you think the last time Dick and I slept under the same roof was?"

Starfire shook her head. "Oh, Jason."

"I don't think this is gonna work, Kor."

She frowned. "You wish to return to base? I would appreciate it if you stayed and assisted in finding Raven-"

"No, not that. You and me."

Starfire fell silent. She really didn't know what to say to that, so she waited for him to continue.

"Not that there really was a you and me…but I guess for a time there was anyway."

"There still could be," she said softly.

He smiled bitterly. "Nah. Not with him in the picture. And he's always gonna be in the picture."

"Jason, we talked about this. It is not-"

"It's not a competition, I _know._ But it feels like I've already lost anyway." He looked away from her, his foot kicking out against the dirt half-heartedly.

"I have told you, I can have feelings for more than one person. I…I _do_ have the feelings for you."

"But you'll always have them for him too, right?"

She paused. "Yes."

He sighed. "Well I guess that makes me a selfish bastard, 'cuz I don't think I can have you, knowing that somewhere in that head of yours, there's a part of you that wants to be with… _him._ "

"It…is not selfish," Starfire said after a moment. "It is human." She leaned her head on his shoulder. While she was not in love with Jason, she knew she cared for him greatly, but her love for Dick outweighed this. It was true; he was right, and this was probably why he had never initiated anything further, emotionally or physically. He knew the truth, probably knew it the moment she saw Dick again, and she could not blame him for not being able to swallow the truth. Knowing she could learn to love him while still always loving his brother.

"Friends then?" she asked softly, a bittersweet feeling in her chest.

He stared at her for a moment, before placing his hand at the back of her head and leaning in to kiss her. Her hand came up to rest on his chest while his arms moved around her torso, holding her firmly. He made a noise, deep in the back of his throat that made her skin crackle with energy. Their tongues moved together briefly, too briefly, before he pulled away, probably for the final time.

"Sure," he replied, grinning wolfishly at her.

She shook her head again, but this time a small smile adorned her face. "And here I thought I had met every kind of Earth man there was." She stood up. "Will you really not join us in the shelter?"

"I'll be fine here. I'll scream if a bear tries to maul me."

Her smile grew. "Good night, Jason."

"Good night."

 **Author's Note:**

 _Yeah…so not gonna lie, I'm having a lot of fun with the whole Jason/Kory dynamic, but logistically speaking it wouldn't work out for the reason I wrote above. I'm not sure if I fooled you all into thinking this was a Jason/Kory story, but if I did, psych!_

 _I left their relationship open on purpose. Don't worry, all will become clear VERY soon._


	12. Tower

**Author's Note:**

 _Please read the author's note at the bottom of this chapter after you have read it. I would appreciate feedback to determine the fate of this story._

~0~0~0~

Just as Starfire was about to lie down for the night, she felt a cold presence coming from above her. Her head snapped up and sure enough, a corporeal raven drifted above her head. At that same moment Beast Boy burst back into the clearing in his wolf form. He transformed back immediately, his face hopeful.

"I thought I sensed something!" he said enthusiastically, pointing to the sky. "Your flare worked!"

"Oh! Everyone please wake from your slumber. Raven has sent us a sign!" Starfire cried. At the sound of her voice, the rest of the group assembled, including Red Hood with his mask firmly in place. They gazed up at the swirling corporeal form in wonder. It flew in a circle, five, six times, and then bolted for the tree line.

"Quick, we can't lose it!" Nightwing called, and the chase began.

Beast Boy morphed back into his wolf form while Cyborg and Starfire did the best they could to light the way for the others. The faster they moved the more scratches Starfire obtained along her body from branches, but she barely noticed them in her eagerness to find Raven. The raven flew ahead of them, faster and faster until finally they lost sight of it.

The group slowly came to a stop, panting.

"Now what are we supposed to do?" Red Hood asked no one in particular, yet he removed one of his handguns.

At that moment an animalistic cry sounded from above them. The screech was so piercing that Starfire resisted the urge to cover her ears. She heard Cyborg cry out next to her and then the light beside her went dark.

"Cyborg, are you okay?" Nightwing shouted, his figure only visible from the light of her starbolts.

"Yeah, but that _thing_ just knocked out my shoulder lights!"

"Then I will have to be out light source," Starfire said, charging up her hands until the entire clearing was filled with an eerie green glow.

At first everyone could only see each other, and then-

"Watch out!" Beast Boy cried, changing into a falcon and swooping out of the way as Crux dove straight for them. The heroes scattered and Starfire jumped out of the way, suddenly realizing Crux's attack was meant for her.

She flinched as she heard Red Hood fire off a round of bullets, a couple of which missed her by only a margin. She heard Crux cry out in pain and fury.

"Stop shooting!" Nightwing yelled. "You'll hit her!"

"I'm nowhere near her!" Red Hood shouted back, before firing his weapon twice more.

Starfire ducked out of the way, making sure her starbolts were always charged so everyone could see. Upon further inspection of Crux, she realized the creature was injured fairly badly, far more damage than Red Hood's bullets could have inflicted.

 _Raven must have overpowered him,_ she thought triumphantly, confident that her friend was still out there.

Her smile faded as Crux swept out with a wing, knocking Arsenal and Cyborg off to the side. Beast Boy transformed into a T-Rex, and charged the animal, using his teeth to clamp down on one of his talons. Crux snarled and shook off the changeling, before spinning around and diving again.

"What? You not talking today?" Red Hood taunted the creature as he took out a sharpened boomerang. Crux snarled and barreled into a cluster of pines, most of which Red Hood had to narrowly dodge to avoid being crushed.

 _That is right; he has not said a word,_ Starfire noted. Due to his injuries the animal DNA Crux injected himself with must have been taking over his entire being. _Which will only make him more of a threat._

Crux jolted forward as Nightwing's bird-a-rang sliced into his shoulder. He whipped around and charged the hero, catching him off guard and pinning him beneath his talons.

"Dick!" Starfire cried, as she prepared to come to his aid, but was beaten to it. Red Hood shot Crux squarely in the side with his gun, causing the creature to fall back. This gave Nightwing enough time to wriggle out from under him. As Nightwing retreated to the edge of the clearing to gather his bearings, he gave Red Hood a bewildered look.

Starfire couldn't blame him; she was just as shocked as he was. Jason had saved him. There was no doubt about that. 

Still thinking of her friends, Starfire flew into the sky, knowing Crux would follow her. Somewhere down below she heard Nightwing's cry of protest, but she had other things to worry about at the moment. Once she was deep in the night sky she whipped around and blasted her eye beams at the creature. Crux swerved out of the way, only to be blasted backwards in the air with her starbolts. Flying forward, she grabbed his massive head and whirled him around, crashing him into a line of trees. She flew down beside him to survey the damage she had caused. She lit her starbolts but allowed them to fade after a moment. Surely he could not come back from-

She cried out as he swept his wing forward, knocking her to the ground. Her eyes lit up with righteous fury as he steadied himself. She let out her own growl, preparing to take him on again.

This time she didn't have to, for at that moment a figure coated in black energy emerged from the ground to stand between her and Crux.

"Raven!" Starfire cried out, half in joy and half in fear for her friend's safety.

The empath had her own injuries, that much was certain. A large scratch ran down one of her legs, and her cloak was torn in several places. The fabric of her cloak was covered in dirt and blood, much of which was probably not her own.

"Stay _away_ from my friends," Raven said softly, dangerously, as she waved her hand, summoning her powers to knock back Crux with such force that the ground shook beneath them. As the reptilian monster plummeted to the ground again, this time he did not rise.

As soon as it became apparent that Crux would not be a threat to them anymore, Starfire flew forward and threw her arms around Raven, holding her tightly. The empath hesitantly returned the hug. When the two pulled away, Beast Boy, followed by the rest, emerged into the clearing. They paused, glancing from Crux to the women with bewildered looks on their faces.

"Raven!" Beast Boy cried, sprinting forward and practically tackling his wife. Starfire lit her starbolts again so everyone could see each other clearly.

"I'm alright, Gar," she told him, though Starfire could tell she was touched by his concern for her.

"We're glad you're okay, Raven," Nightwing said as he approached the couple.

"You gave us quite the scare, Little Lady," Cyborg added, throwing an arm around the girl. He frowned as his eyes fell to her leg. "We should take a look at that."

"Why don't we head back to the Tower," Beast Boy suggested. "We aren't that far from it anyway."

"Uh, aren't we forgetting about someone?" Arsenal asked, as he half-heartedly kicked Crux's unmoving form.

"Did you kill the bastard?" Red Hood asked Raven.

She shook her head. "He's still alive. Gar and I can transport him to Arkham."

"You sure it won't be a strain?" Nightwing asked.

"Fuck, she wouldn't have offered if it was," Red Hood muttered, but after Starfire shot him a glare, he added, "I mean, are you up for it?"

She gave Red Hood and unamused glance. "I'll be fine." She turned to Beast Boy. "Come on, let's make this quick."

"We'll meet you back at the Tower," Cyborg suggested. He turned to the rest of the group. "Y'all can fly your crafts to Jump."

Arsenal winced. "Uh, maybe Jay and I should just head out."

Red Hood clapped him on the back. "Are you kidding? Wouldn't miss the chance to fuck around the famous Titans' Tower for the world."

"Great," Starfire heard Nightwing mutter.

Cyborg nodded, either not seeming particularly bothered by the tension or not caring. Beast Boy and Raven teleported away with Crux while everyone boarded his or her separate ships. Despite the unusual circumstances, Starfire was excited to see the Tower again after all this time.

~0~0~0~

Starfire took in a breath as she emerged into ops, marveling at how little had changed. According to what Raven had told her during their video chats, she and Beast Boy had decided to send the new recruits to Titans' East after Starfire had left. The two thought it made more sense to have the privacy of the Tower to themselves, especially since Raven had mentioned Beast Boy was starting to hint that he wanted kids.

She giggled as she realized the kitchen was still a complete mess, but the living room was sparkling clean. She supposed Raven had had to pick her battles with her husband.

"Well fuck," Jason said, as he removed his mask. "Better than I was expecting."

"Kind of puts our little shack to shame, eh Jase?" Roy prodded.

"Hey fuck you, I worked hard to get that place."

As Dick and Cyborg filtered into the room, removing their own masks, Dick stopped dead when he looked at Jason's unmasked visage. The latter smirked at the older hero.

"What? Were you expecting a rotting face?" he quipped.

Dick glowered and quickly looked away, muttering something about visiting his old room.

 _This must have been the first time Dick has seen Jason unmasked since he has become Red Hood,_ Starfire deduced. She watched reproachfully as Dick left ops to hide in his room. She guessed some things would always be the same.

She didn't focus on that for too long however, for Raven and Beast Boy teleported into the room a moment later.

"Glad you guys made it back safe," Cyborg said, grinning. "Now Rae, let's just take a look at that leg."

Raven shook her head, but a smile was on her face. Starfire knew she could heal the injury on her own, but it was so like Cyborg to be worried about her well-being. The two retired to the infirmary while Starfire began looking around for something...or someone.

A few moments later she gasped in delight as she leaned over, so a _very_ well-fed Silkie could leap into her arms. Silkie let out a squeal of happiness as he wiggled about, coating her in mucus.

Starfire turned to see Jason looking at her in horror. "What the hell is that thing?"

"It is Silkie!" she cried joyfully, covering the larva's face in kisses.

"Ever since you left I've been making sure to take really good care of him," Beast Boy mentioned, coming over to stand by her and Silkie. He reached over to give the mutant a pat. "He's really missed you though."

"Oh, I have missed him as well!"

"Not as much as me though, right?" Beast Boy asked mischievously.

Starfire gasped. "Do not make me choose, Friend Garfield!"

As Beast Boy laughed, Roy and Jason exited ops, probably so Roy could give Jason the grand tour. Starfire was grateful Roy was keeping an eye on him. She didn't entirely trust Jason not to cause trouble, especially since Dick was still here.

As soon as she and Beast Boy were alone, she turned to him. "Garfield, I wish to apologize to you greatly for not attending the wedding of you and Raven," Starfire said miserably. "It is unforgiveable that I was not there and-"

"Star, it's okay," Beast Boy said sadly. "I mean, it wasn't the same without you there, but I get it. I mean, I think I sort of get it anyway. The whole memory thing's good now, right?"

She nodded slowly.

"But…things with Dick are…?"

"Not as 'good.'"

"Ah."

Starfire sighed. "I do not know what to say to him, Gar. He wishes to talk about things of the past, but I do not know what he wants from me." She placed Silkie down on the sofa.

"I think he just wants to be in your life again, Star. We all do."

"Yes, I suppose you are right."

Beast Boy coughed. "So…you, Jason Todd, and Roy Harper…didn't think that would ever happen."

"Nor did I," she admitted.

"I bet when you remembered everything, _that_ was quite a shock."

She considered this. She had of course known well before her break up with Dick that a figure named Red Hood had attacked him, and that he and Bruce had suspected it was Jason, but she did not know for sure. It must not have been until after she had left that they discovered the truth of his identity.

"Quite the opposite," she told him finally. "I feel as though I have come to know him so well that it is the most natural thing in the universe."

Beast Boy winced. "Still, it makes repairing things with Dick sort of…complicated."

She paused. What made him think she wanted to repair things with Dick? Is that what they all thought? Or maybe they just assumed they would? Suddenly feeling as though she needed fresh air, she gave Beast Boy a long hug before telling him if he needed her, he could find her on the roof.

"Sure, Star," he said and then paused to look her over. "By the way, love the new look."

She laughed lightly, running her arms over the long spandex material of her uniform. "I thank you."

Once she drifted out into the open air and perched on the edge of the building, she leaned back on her hands and looked at the night sky. It felt like the sun could rise at any moment when in reality, it probably wasn't very long after midnight.

When she heard the footsteps behind her, she couldn't even summon the emotional strength to be surprised. It was really her own fault for wanting some time to think, yet coming to their place, the place where they had had countless conversations.

And it appeared as though they would have another one.

"Mind if I join you?" Dick asked, standing far behind her.

"I suppose not," she said, turning her head to the side, but not really looking at him.

She listened as his weight shifted beside her as he sat down. She noticed he was still dressed in his uniform, sans the mask. He glanced up at the sky. "Beautiful night."

"Please, if you wish to say something to me, I would prefer to just do the cutting to the chase." She was in no mood for delaying the inevitable.

Dick made a surprised sort of choking noise before he collected himself. "Well, I wanted to apologize, first and for most."

She looked at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry," he said lamely. "Back at the pool, really for everything before that. I…should have been there for you and I wasn't." He sighed. "I know it doesn't seem like it now, but I was really miserable when you left."

 _"You_ were feeling miserable?" she questioned disbelievingly.

He put his hands up. "I know, I know. I probably don't have a right to say that, I just…I didn't think you would _leave_ Earth."

"I did not have a choice," she told him dully.

They lapsed into silence. Dick cleared his throat several times before finally saying, "Did you enjoy your time on Tamaran at least?"

A small smile came to her face, despite herself. "Yes, it was glorious to be back. I met a wonderful array of people including General Phy'zzon and my husband, Prince Karras and-"

"Your _what?"_

Starfire jolted. And then, because she realized everything was so absurd and she was probably losing her mind anyway, she began to giggle uncontrollably while Dick stared at her in disbelief.

"Starfire, are you joking?"

"Oh hush, Dick. It was for a treaty," she paused, "not that you have any right to be upset with me otherwise," she added.

"I guess not," he grumbled. "Isn't he upset that you left for Earth?"

"He is dead."

"…I'm sorry."

"I do not wish to talk about him anymore," she said, even though she was the one who had brought him up. Losing Karras was still something that caused her a great deal of pain, and she did not wish to discuss it with Dick, who at the moment was not someone she was particularly close with.

"What do you want to talk about then?"

"Why do _you_ wish to talk to me at all?" she inquired. "Did you come just to apologize?"

"Well no," he admitted. "I wanted to know if we could…maybe…"

"Richard Grayson," Starfire said sternly, looking right at him, "If you are about to suggest we continue our relationship two years later as if nothing has happened-"

"No! No, I don't think that at all," he assured her. "I just hate feeling this way around you, like I don't know how you're going to react every time you look at me."

"I feel that was as well," she murmured.

"I still love you," he blurted, and she hated the part of her heart that leapt with joy at his admission. "I know we won't pick things up where we left off; I still have a lot of things I need to work on, things that I should have worked on when we were together." He paused, his voice a little strained. "But I'd like for you to always be there, if not…in _that way_ , then as my friend."

She watched as he stared down at his hands, clearly very uncomfortable with how much he had revealed. The revelation in itself was proof he had emotionally matured since she had at last seen him, but was it enough to allow him back into her life?

Perhaps it was time for her to be candid as well.

"There will always be a part of me that will love you as well, Dick," and she grimaced as he looked up at her hopefully, "that being said, Tamaranean emotions are very intricate, and you can not assume that you are the only one who occupies a place in my heart now."

"You mean Jason?" he questioned, his voice coming out rough.

She did not respond, partly because she didn't think it was his business, but partly because she honestly wasn't sure how to answer. Her relationship with Jason had always been ill-defined.

"Do you love him?" Dick asked quietly.

 _No, but…_ "I feel free with him," she said instead. "He treats me like I am invincible, and I feel that way around him." Dick didn't respond. "I suppose that bothers you."

"How can it not?" he said bitterly. "I guess I'll just have to deal with it."

"I would like to try to be your friend, Dick. I hope that someday we can reclaim the bond we once had, several years ago when I came to Earth for the first time."

He glanced at her. "But…?"

"But I need time. I need to rebuild this relationship with you, as friends first, before I can even fathom anything more."

Dick perked up. "What if you moved to the East Coast? You would be closer to Cyborg and Titans' East."

"And closer to you?"

"Well, yes."

Starfire shook her head, smiling. "I belong with the Outlaws. There is still much I need to do with them. You, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Raven have all moved on and found your places, your next adventures in life. This is mine. Roy and Jason are my family. A different kind of family." Her smile grew more confident. "I need to do this, Dick. For myself."

He smiled sadly at her. "Okay, Star. I understand."

She returned his smile. "Thank you."

She leaned forward and hesitantly wrapped her arms around him. She felt his own arms connect around her torso, felt his face press into her neck, and she thought she felt the dampness of his eyes on her skin. She pulled back, the smile still on her face.

"When will I see you again?" he asked, so softly she almost didn't hear him.

She took his hand and squeezed it tightly. "Soon. This is my promise."

He nodded, his eyes clouded with emotion, but he had a more relaxed expression on his face. He stood up, preparing to head back inside. "Goodbye, Starfire," he said.

"Farewell, Friend Dick."

Starfire continued to watch the sky long after he had left her. She watched the stars in the night, and then eventually, she watched the sunrise by herself. An hour after the sun had completely appeared over the horizon, she heard the roof door open again, and she rose from her seat. Roy and Jason both walked forward, coming to stand beside her on the edge of the roof.

"Nice view," Roy commented.

"Yes," Starfire said softly. "It is."

"What do you wanna do, Starfire? It's your call," Jason said, resting his elbow on her shoulder.

Starfire wrapped an arm around each of their waists. She watched as the strong morning sun sent shimmers along the Pacific waters. She smiled as she felt the warmth of the rays on her face, and despite the stress and the sadness of the night before, this was the first time she realized that the pain in her chest had completely gone away.

"Let us go home."

~0~0~0~

 **Author's Note:**

 _Okay. HEAR ME OUT. Feedback required for the fate of this story._

 _As of_ _ **right now,**_ _I am not going to frequently post more, only because I really need to focus on my studies. But_ _ **I could write the second part of this story**_ _, and update it directly to this fic, if readers wanted that. The second part would continue the adventures with the Outlaws, but this time cover Kory and Dick's reconnection._

 _I would like them to end up together, and for Dick to learn from his mistakes, but I didn't want to do it at the end of what I have written so far, because it wouldn't feel right. I'm tired of Dick screwing up and then Kory going right back to him. He needs to learn that his actions have consequences and if he wants her back, he needs to make a lot of changes._

 _So yes, if I update this story, there would be WAY more Dick/Kory, but it would be done with grace. (There would be spicier scenes with them, since there really wasn't anything spicy in this fic.) I purposefully kept Jason and Kory's relationship undefined and open because I do see them having more intimate moments when Kory is not together with Dick, but they will never be on the same romantic level as Dick and Kory were._

 _I definitely think Kory should stay with the Outlaws, because this is HER adventure. Instead of just moving in with Dick and living in Bludhaven with him, she is doing something for herself. Even if they end up together it wouldn't feel right to have her just drop everything and move to Bludhaven; she's her own person. If I write more, her journeys with the Outlaws will include finally tracking down Essence, locating Jade as well as and Roy's daughter, and Kory and Dick's eventual duo adventure would include the reemergence of Slade, who now goes by Deathstroke._

 _I would greatly appreciate feedback if readers would like to read more of this story, and if they would eventually like to see more chapters on Dick and Kory's reconnection. As of right now, I hope you all have enjoyed what I have written so far._

 _I do find it interesting that there seems to be way more interest in the Raven and Beast Boy stories I have written, so maybe I should go back to them, lol. Let me know!_ _ **If so I think my next project will be writing "Tease" a story of how somewhere along the way Beast Boy's teasing of Raven became flirting.**_

 _Looking forward to hearing from you; thank you for reading!_


End file.
